Tuesday 19 July 2016

No 11755, Tuesday 19 Jul 2016, Exa


ACROSS
7   Feature hotshot in paper (5) FACET {F{ACE}T}
8   Decline a bet meant to be lost (9) ABATEMENT*
10 Information given by advertisement's wrong (6) ADVICE {AD}{VICE}
11 Take off an undergarment – go without it (8) TRAVESTY {TR{A}{VEST}Y}
12 Story about Nicolas penned (8) COVERAGE {C{OVER}AGE}
13 Famous writer's article on 'ego' broadcast (6) GOETHE {EGO*}{THE}
14 Clear out drawing books from the middle (7) CENTRAL {NT} in {CLEAR}*
16 Most affected by endless pain in abdomen (7) STOMACH {MOST}*{ACHe}
20 Correct wrong year (6) UPDATE [CD] (Addendum - {UP}{DATE} - A little birdie asked  me to correct this}
23 Difficult, at sixteen, to make a living (8) EXISTENT {aT+SIXTEEN}* How is A removed?
25 Huge mineral waste suppressed (8) COLOSSAL {CO{LOSS}AL}
26 Move over a box (6) CARTON {CART}{ON}
27 Support engineers for nice careers (9) REINFORCE {RE}{FOR+NICE}*
28 Make love, with hesitation, in film (5) LAYER {LAY}{ER}

DOWN
1   Collection of clothes with a fashionable border (8) WARDROBE {W}{A}{BORDER}*
2   Writer I shelter with regret (8) PENITENT {PEN}{I}{TENT}
3   I'll help a teetotaller fill ale (7) ABETTER {A}{BE{TT}ER}
4   Shirt tag removed at once (8) STRAIGHT*
5   Edges away from spoilt electrical unit (6) AMPERE hAMPEREd (Addendum - pAMPEREd - See comments)
6   Kidnap can't criminal keep quiet about it? (6) SNATCH {S{CANT*}H}
9   Excellent bringing back a prize (4) MEGA {MEG}{A}<=
15 To state "no" is another way of expressing dislike (8) AVERSION {AVER}{IS+NO}*
17 Stuff husband took back home (8) MATERIAL {MATE}{LAIR<=}
18 Read and write down date as suggested (8) CONNOTED {CON}{NOTE}{D}
19 Put back a revolting flavour (7) REPLACE {PER<=}{LACE}
21 Motivate learner to pursue professional training (6) PROPEL {PRO}{PE}{L}
22 Flourish in a game by capturing bishop instead of rook (6) ABOUND {A}{(-r+b)BOUND}
24 Power cut in stadium causing irritation (4) ITCH pITCH

GRID

29 comments:

  1. AC 23 Difficult, at sixteen, to make a living (8) EXISTENT {aT+SIXTEEN}* How is A removed?
    Probably it was "to make out a living"?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Down 5 Edges away from spoilt electrical unit (6) AMPERE hAMPEREd
    I think it should be pAMPEREd.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 10 to the power of 18 entertaining puzzle..lovely clues all around

    ReplyDelete
  4. Enjoyed solving it. Thank you Exa.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 24D- Pitch can be called a stadium?

    ReplyDelete

  6. Pitch (N)

    3. Sports A playing field. Also called wick

    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pitch

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes MB, I understand pitch is a playing field. But a stadium is the building around it, isn't it? Or rather, the stadium is built around a pitch, as I understand it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would think 'pitch' is only part of a stadium.
      Thesaurus lists or lists of synonyms are usually broad and give all words associated near and far with the given word. We might need to use discretion in selecting the word.
      Many clues in this puzzle are well done. I am merely answering a query.

      Delete
    2. As per Chambers a stadium is ' a race course or sports ground' and Pitch is ' a place set apart for playing or practising a game.

      Delete
  8. Nice puzzle from Exa... Simple sweet clues most but not in sync with some clue ing .. Wardrobe use of fashionable as indicator even if W A is ignored.. Def of mega .. No qualifier for Nicholas to lead to Cage.. But my delight is the use of drawing in CentrAl.. Lovely device to connote inclusion and fits so well with surface :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. In 20a, how is 'up' = wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Intended this in the sense of what's 'up'/what's 'wrong'

      Delete
    2. Subject to correction, I was thinking that it meant 'What's happening?'

      Delete
    3. Don't think that will work Aakash

      Delete
    4. I appreciate everyone's views on this, but I simply picked the usage up from chambers and freeidioms.

      According to them, there are two senses to what's up. One is what's wrong, and
      the other is the well-known what's happening.
      Another relation given is: something's "up" with him/ something's "wrong" with him.
      Does it work now?

      Delete
  10. Nice puzzle. Just one little clarification -

    3 I'll help a teetotaller fill ale (7)

    Does A fill B sufficiently indicate that A is inside B? I felt "I'll help a teetotaller filling ale" would be more apt from the cryptic grammar point of view.

    Mostly an entertaining puzzle, with the customary 'spirited' reference.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Off track- about texting (read today)
    If Hamelet were to be around today, he might have texted-"2 B r nt 2 B, tht iz d ?"

    ReplyDelete

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