ACROSS
1 Key team heads fasten securely (4,4) CAPS LOCK {CAPS} {LOCK}
9 Map store leaves honour for place where there are drawers (3,4) ART ROOM {
10 Giant sets out one goal with West Indian departing (7) GOLIATH {1+GOAL}*{
11 What vehicles do in sluggish traffic — what they do at traffic lights (4,3,2) STOP AND GO [DD]
12 Something invigorating from Australian individual (5) OZONE {OZ}{ONE}
13 Enemy cut and squeezed herb (4) NEEM ENEM
14 They do some bare running (9) STREAKERS [CD]
17 Tip: party to entertain King. He’s sozzled after consuming Ecstasy (9) BAKSHEESH {BA{K}SH}{E}{HE'S*}
19 Thinker has no millions for manipulative sort (4) USER
23 Coach affords some banter (5) CHAFF [T]
24 Also held two smalls haphazardly in handyman's storerooms (9) TOOLSHEDS {TOO}{HELD+S+S}*
25 Rest upon lover — that is exciting! (7) OVERLIE {LOVER*}{IE}
26 Chief bowler's aim (7) KINGPIN [DD]
27 Tamil leader approves Hungarian wines (6) TOKAYS {T
28 Truth-teller's protestation as to what he does not do (1,4,3) I DON'T LIE [CD]
DOWN
1 Makes crude scams holding a right, limited group (8) COARSENS {CO{A}{R}{SE
2 One tries to avoid this on a road — it’s right outside window (7) POTHOLE PO
3 Look, oafs toss bathroom sponges (6) LOOFAS {LO}{OAFS*}
4 It plays out nothing but humour (6,7) COMEDY THEATRE [CD]
6 Small elevations where I'll have birds of prey, say, all around (8) HILLOCKS (~hawks){HOCKS} around {I'LL}
7 Attract by altering our name flamboyantly (7) ENAMOUR*
8 Carry school record about learner (6) SCHLEP {SCH}{L}{EP}
10 Finished cookies? So, Ed, go out! (5,2,6) GOOSE IS COOKED*
15 Exploit completely in a beneficial manner (8) USEFULLY {USE}{FULLY}
16 Just being there might be an imposing appearance (8) PRESENCE [DD]
18 In top form — on Doddabetta? (2,1,4) AT A PEAK {AT} {A} {PEAK}
20 Prepare oneself to bear politician's surname (7) STEMPEL {STE{MP}EL}
21 Meet squarely price of a cooling machine? (6) ACCOST {AC}{COST}
22 Knows of central visit? No, no! (2,2,2) IS IN ON {
Good one there, as usual, from GM. Missed a few, but glad to have got a few tough (what I consider) ones- Bakshhesh,Loofas,Accost (neatly worded) to name a few.
ReplyDeleteWith a lot of cricket going on I was after a different bowler!
I Agree...I was bowled by Kingpin and stumped by Stempel.
ReplyDeletetook me ages today CV ji ! but managed to get all.. stempel - i knew the mp was inside but the name is new to me so hard to guess..had to use help to get it :) BTW - saw a guardian clue today with a sort of unusual use of "half heartedly" as a device - Poorness of English team half heartedly shameful. Ans was Exiguity E and XI from English team is ok.. half hearted guilty (shameful) becoming Guity.. is the use of this okay?
ReplyDeleteThe crossword is by Spiderwoman, held dear by many solvers. As for your query, I really don't know how 'half-heartedly shamefaced' works for GUI[l]TY. As I write, it occurs to me. The full heart is IL - half heart is L. Yes, it works. It is neat and goes well with the surface.
DeleteFull heart fir IL- I am not able to get it. Would you pl. explain?
DeleteHeart of guILty is IL...central letters of guilty
DeleteThat's lovely. I missed it. Thank you Vasat.
Deleteyes .. i got the logic but it seemed a wee bit like cheating ... but if CV sir thinks its fine...then its good enough for me too :)
DeleteLong drawn out battle in this belter of a puzzle...my Goose was cooked but missed out on stempel & kingpin
ReplyDelete