Across
1 Friend's venture is small (6) PALTRY {PAL}{TRY}
4 Breaks off from arguments without point (6) CEASES {C{E}ASES}
9 Letters from Shiite Muslims in consideration (4) ITEM (T)
10 Bet it’s my wife (6,4) BETTER HALF // Bet=Half of Better
11 Risk losing direction securing a ball from passage (6) THROAT {THR(-e+O)AT}
12 Youth leader migrates to a country, Israel perhaps (4,4) HOLY LAND {HOL{Youth} LAND}
13 Quick action against VIP's article, maybe (9) BRIEFCASE {BRIEF}{CASE}
15 Attempted to make a group of three to get middlemen to answer (5) TRIED {TRI(-a+E}D}
16 Instant justice's doubtful (5) JIFFY {J}{IFFY}
18 See me playing catching game with staff (9) EMPLOYEES {SEE ME}* around {PLOY}
22 None left; on the contrary, it’s OK (3,5) ALL RIGHT // Opposite of NONE & LEFT
23 Somehow practiced to get rid of trust (6) ACCEPT {PRACTICED-RID}* Anno not clear
25 Confirmed the validity of study about females taking on stripped airmen (10) REAFFIRMED {REA{FF}{aIRMEn}D}
26 Old star's comeback is a burden (4) ONUS {O}{NUS<=}
27 Sausage from Islamabad's spoiled, bad, to be thrown out (6) SALAMI {ISLAMABAD-BAD}*
28 Cross segment of filthy bridge (6) HYBRID (T)
Down
1 Power, desire, energy; never-ending requirement for a baseball player (7) PITCHER {P}{ITCH}{E}{neveR} // Requirement is superfluous?
2 Say, handball's left in the air (5) LIMBO {LIMB}{O}
3 Robert's love note's cold and emotionless (7) ROBOTIC {ROB}{O}{TI}{C}
5 Never endlessly back heartless lady in an impartial manner (6) EVENLY {rEVEN<=}{LadY}
6 Well-read are historically churned out from IIT dropouts (9) SCHOLARLY {HISTORICALLY-IIT}*
7 Because restraining the French provides peace... (7) SILENCE {SI{LE}NCE}
8 ... however estimate them to agitate following afternoon (2,3,4,4) AT THE SAME TIME {A} {ESTIMATE THEM}* Afternoon=A? See comments
14 To place iron counter on tower is tiring, almost burdensome (9) EFFORTFUL {EF<=}{FORT}{FULl} ?
17 A hungry lion in inferior environments gets disease (7) ILLNESS {I}{L{LioN}ESS}
19 Lady frequently entertains one in disc on 29th February (4,3) LEAP DAY {L{E{A}P}DAY*} Frequently is an anagram indicator?
20 Describe fair one's daughter (7) EXPOUND {EXPO}{UN}{D}
21 Passage is malicious, displays discrimination (6) AGEISM (T)
24 Singers' chapter hires men without ego (5) CHOIR {CH}{O{I}R}
Reference list
Point=E, Direction=E, Ball=O, Answer=A, Justice=J, Females=FF, Old=O, Star=Sun
Power=P, Energy=E, Love=O, Note=Ti, Cold=C, The French=Le, Iron=Fe, One=A, One=Un, Daughter=D, Chapter=Ch, Men=OR (Ordinary Ranks), Ego=I
Power=P, Energy=E, Love=O, Note=Ti, Cold=C, The French=Le, Iron=Fe, One=A, One=Un, Daughter=D, Chapter=Ch, Men=OR (Ordinary Ranks), Ego=I
Wonder which superlative will be bandied about today, let's wait and see!
ReplyDeleteSuperlative? Superlatives are usually used when you praise something, I think.
DeleteWell he is praising it from the other end!!
DeleteColonel Sir @ 8:32...."For him to set the ball rolling?!"
DeleteYes MB
DeleteI don't think 'requirement' is superfluous in 1d. The SI may be interpreted as these components forming part of requirement for getting the solution.
ReplyDeleteXWD, the Chambers dict., has 'afternoon' under a, but I am unable to see where this abbr. can be used.
ReplyDeleteThe online chambers does not have it. Hence the question
DeleteSphinx list of crossword abbreviations has it:
Deletea: afternoon
XWD often contains abbrs. which may not even be in the Chambers dict. These abbrs. are usually used in advanced cryptics such as the Listener. Enigmatist, Azed, etc.
DeleteGood afternoon =GA?
DeleteIn 19d, 'frequently' is not an anag ind. It is letter-pick ind for L and D from LaDy.
ReplyDeleteIf it is used as letter pick indicator then anno for AY is missing
DeleteThat clue is a double C/c, I think.
ReplyDelete23d 'trust' is not-so-apt a def for 'accept' . ''of' appears to be a typo for 'off' as RID letters are off - removed from' the anag fodder. 'somehoe' is the anag signal.
ReplyDeleteBut with 'off' is it OK grammatically?
DeleteIn 23d the US sp for 'practiced's eems to have been allowed.
ReplyDelete19D I thought we have to fill in L.A.D.Y i.e 'frequently accepting letters', but it doesn't work out.
ReplyDeletePick alternate letters from LADY twice - LD AY
DeleteLady frequently -- L.D.
Deleteentertains- c/c ind
one in disc - a(one) in (c/c ind) EP (disc, for extended play)
on - not so apt a link
29th February - def
AY from ?
DeleteI was less than careful in writing that post.
Delete23A Deletion Indicator? May only work if 'of' is 'off'!
ReplyDeleteDoes my anno at 8:47 work?
ReplyDeleteAY?
DeleteI missed VIP's briefcase. I hope the contents are not very valuable! If it is just samosas it is okay.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents on 19D-
ReplyDeleteL A D Y are alternate letters. Fill in EPA in that order.
I think it depends on which A one chooses for 'lady'- it is the first one.
ReplyDeleteI use Chambers XWD - A dictionary of crossword abbreviations by Michael Kindred and Derrick Knight. It gives A for afternoon. Paddy's 9.08 was my intent. Obviously doesn't seem to work. The 'one in disc' makes it wrong. And off/of was a typo. Again a question of grammar.
ReplyDeleteGlitches or no glitches it was a satisfactory solve for me! Overall a nice CW from Afterdark. :)
ReplyDeleteI like 'the wife' clue. Good one!
ReplyDeleteMy pick was VIP's BRIECASE!
ReplyDeleteAmid all these galatta, I forgot to thank Ramesh for his 'Holi'day fill. Quite colourful and detailed. Hats off.
ReplyDelete'Galatta'? There's still time for it. Things have spiced up in last few days.
Delete...all along I was sitting on the fence lest I should be caught in the cross-fire!
DeleteGood show. Limbo and briefcase are my favourites.
ReplyDeleteSome interesting clueing today from AD.. Better half of course, also use of hungry to indicate vacation :) Holy land too ... was neat Limbo = handball .. lovely. Overall enjoyable one from AD.. Just as an aside.. robotic means lacking love huh,,, not a star wars fan Mr AD !!
ReplyDeleteSome good clues but having a few doubts
ReplyDelete10 Bet it’s my wife (6,4) BETTER HALF // Bet=Half of Better
Though it's an old Chestnut, what's the role of my in the clue?
11 Risk losing direction securing a ball frompassage (6) THROAT {THR(-e+O)AT}
Not sure if Wordplay FROM definition works
15 Attempted to make a group of three to getmiddlemen to answer (5) TRIED {TRI(-a+E}D
TO works as a substitution ind like FOR?
23 Somehow practiced to get rid of trust (6)ACCEPT {PRACTICED-RID}* Anno not clear
Don't think deletion works
6 Well-read are historically churned out fromIIT dropouts (9) SCHOLARLY {HISTORICALLY-IIT}*
Definition ARE wordplay?
Also FROM makes some problem here also IMO
17 A hungry lion in inferior environments getsdisease (7) ILLNESS {I}{L{LioN}ESS}
Hungry = empty stomach is another level of indirection right?
19 Lady frequently entertains one in disc on29th February (4,3) LEAP DAY {L{E{A}P}DAY*} Frequently is an anagram indicator?
Saw its already discussed :)
Also felt a few surfaces are just crosswordy.
I think 23A is a composite anagram: (accept+rid)=practiced
Delete+1
DeleteAjeesh has just lit the fire. Fuel's awaited
DeleteWith OF, composite anagram doesn't work (a+b) * = (c+d) * moreover Setter told it's a typo in that case grammar is wrong :)
DeleteIs it not (practiced- rid)*, but the word play does not lead to it clearly. 'Somehow' seems to describe practiced than than after deletion. Did not notice it while solving- just taken it for granted.
DeleteRemember it is supposed to be 'off' in stead of 'of'.
DeleteNice one by AD...found it a bit tougher than the usual ones by AD...liked Better Half..Briefcase..all right...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI can sense that arrogance in comments from yesterday
andd Today's puzzle is disastrous
Ha-ha. And there comes the left field. The setters of the last few puzzles have been extremely patient and decent. As if they never had to defend. Or that they simply dismissed the comments. They didn't feel it's worth it. :) I am not like that. I want to say that I accept Mahesh's one word criticism. For each their opinion. The blog was getting single digit responses on days. And if I have to put a strategy hat, I would think Colonel should have done this long time back. Add spice and thus followership. Mahesh I have never been worried about negative feedback. Some of the setters you commented in before are superstars. For years someone does a single grid pattern that's always a pangram. And there are others like Xchequer from whom setters like me want to learn. But to you all of us are terrible. Easy thing is to ask whether you can do what we can do. But critics need not be creators too. So you earn that right. Similarly I have earned this right too. Not for this puzzle at all. Standing in for others . nln
ReplyDeleteIf Mahesh was someone who really was a peeved guy, he would have seen what legends like Gridman and Arden are trying to say imparting sense in their comments. The arrogance that he sees from other solvers is something I don't get to see. Comments of Ajeesh are perfectly right. I need to explain or accept. In fact I did answer some part of them earlier. We may still not agree. But we talk. He didn't call it disastrous. He had issues with a few of them. I am glad that others are defending and not the setters themselves. Arden said it's about attention. That's what my fellow setters refused to give you. Now that I have given it, I think you better you go try solving. Solving what Exa suggested. I have never seen a better bunch of setters than this crop that keeps me thinking that whether I should set all. This is the first time I have got bracketed in the same group. So thanks to you on that. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd for Monday I suggest that you keep Sorbitrate ready. And now you have also seen an arrogant setter. Life is made.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get the Hindu in Bangalore today. I carefully scrolled down just to write the comment. Where can I find this crossword online? I checked online but could only find yesterday's. Could someone help me? I feel incomplete without doing my daily crossword. Thanks.
ReplyDeletehttp://the-hindu-crossword.appspot.com/about
Deleteif you are the setter of the puzzle then this attitude must channge
ReplyDeleteLet me make clear that My sole intention is t o assist the setter but it is being misunderstood
Misleadins is one thing Misleading unfairly is one other thing
ReplyDeleteThe past puzzles have practised unfair treatment of words My comments are meant to assist the setter
If you mention the dogs clue as misleading unfairly, you are completely wrong my dear friend. Just accept that. Give valid reasons if you genuinely want to help the setter
DeleteHow does your comment "Today's puzzle is disastrous" assist the setter?
ReplyDeleteAjeesh on the 'my' part in Better half clue, I originally thought didnt have it. Somewhere in between I started thinking that a better half could be either of the spouses and given my male identity the 'my' part before wife will remove any ambiguity.
ReplyDeleteAnd on the use of 'to' in 15A is fair IMO. Like we say 'prefer this to that'.
And for 'hungry, doesn't that denote empty? I think it's more acceptable than 'heartless' that's used.
The other clues don't work, typo or no typo.
My better half = my wife
DeleteStill not sure how to = instead of /for
Heartless fodder works I guess because there is no another level of indirection where as in hungry, we have to assume that hungry =empty tummy then to delete as main intention is deletion of central letters
On a lighter note , you mean to say my wife is not a better half. I think I should inform her before you come next :)
DeleteMahesh, an apology is due. I need not have been so harsh in my response. I was not worried about your comment on my puzzle at all. It's more a response to the comments on the earlier puzzles. There is so Clique here as Ravi suggested. It's in fact this blog that has made many a setter better. And improved solving abilities of many including mine. From the days of reverse engineering the next day morning with another puzzle to be solved, this blog in 2009 came as a huge relief and tutorial. I have met many of the setters personally starting from a 1000 puzzle Gridman to the ones who are my daughter's age. Not one, I repeat, not one has an attitude. Would it be out of place to suggest that you should improve the way you provide feedback? We have had arguments about the relative toughness of certain setters. But on fairness there had never been any debate. It is or it's not. All of us have been game on that. It's dragging a bit too far on this I suppose.
ReplyDeleteOnce, not very long ago there were just setters in THC and we used to suffer a couple for almost a fortnight. It used to be 'find out what I have in my mind' than a wordplay leading to an answer. So what you allege is unfounded. We were victims of terror too.
ReplyDeleteIn the above Comment by Shrikanth, insert "four or five" between "just" and "setters".
Delete