Incognito getting dressed to kill!
ACROSS
1 Bottle bombs exploded around centre of Delhi, accompanied by release of some bright flares (4-7) BELL-BOTTOMS {
10 Place where a hundred and fifty were covered by molten rock by graduate initially (9) BALACLAVA {BA}{L{A}{C}{L}AVA}
11 Lama worked excitedly for a bird from the New World (10) MEADOWLARK*
13 Tree snake entraps Nightingale at first (5) ASPEN {ASP}{E
15 Spread canard about American soldier returning sweater (8) CARDIGAN {GI<=} in {CANARD}*
17 Reinforce old ship returning to lock (8) BUTTRESS {TUB<=}{TRESS}
19 Judge may frequently repeat this: "Command and discipline" (5) ORDER [DD]
22 Critical situation : absence of credit for Daesh (4) ISIS
23 Informing (including United Nations nominees at first) on digging of underground passages (10) TUNNELLING {T{UN}{N
26 Strengthened die fit for moulding (9) FORTIFIED*
27 Former spouse returned paintings, for example, ... more than what was required (5) EXTRA {EX}{ART<=}
28 He cuts off your top reeds, sirrah, in a frenzy (11) HAIRDRESSER*
DOWN
1 Redesigned UK bar dress (5) BURKA*
2 Laird's network's not working with expected regularity initially (9) LANDOWNER {LAN}{DOWN}{E
3 Couple of boys fall into black beer and talk foolishly (6) BABBLE {B}{A{B}{B}LE}
4 A lariat may be fashioned into heavenly footwear (7) TALARIA*
6 Supreme Court exacted retribution and hunted for usable material (9) SCAVENGED {SC}{AVENGED}
7 American travels without a hint of nausea in Tauric peninsula (6) CRIMEA AMERIC
8 One needs balls to use this field gun (6) CANNON [CD]
14 Father-figure Patrick's royal chair's renovated (9) PATRIARCH {PAT}{R}{CHAIR*}
16 Finally nod and rotate head resulting in comedy (9) DROLLNESS {
17 Explains intimate things (6) BRIEFS [DD]
18 Considered a piece of jewellery that is dazzling at first (7) STUDIED {STUD}{IE}{D
20 Confused, Jerome left violent Major General's sleeve (6) RAGLAN {
24 Bury in the English region, to start with (5) INTER {IN}{T
25 Fruit used in Nagasaki witchcraft (4) KIWI [T]
GRID
Thanks Incognito. I could do it ere 8.30
ReplyDelete10a BaL(ACL)ava, my understanding.
ReplyDeleteYou are right I have corrected it now
DeleteINTERLUDE
ReplyDeleteMy Notes on crosswords in Mumbai newspapers. Thanks to my friend who sent me the cuttings. These clippings are from Saturday newspapers. Will write similar Comments on clippings from Sunday newspapers of Mumbai later in the week as I am away from Chennai for a couple of days from tomorrow.
I - Mid-day Saturday
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The cutting has three crosswords
1. 13x13 US open grid Easy/Quick/Syn clues - Not credited, but clues suggest the setter is Indian - Curiously no enu is given for any clue. While most are six letters and less, there are some of 10 letters for which you have to consult the light for the number of blanks - .One clue that hits my eye is "Need" anagram for a sandhill? A mistake here?
2. Also 13x13 standard blocked called Bollywood Crossword - Credited to Yazad Dotivala .Clues relate to cinema - Can be solved only by a rabid film fan with a knowledge of film titles, names of personalities, etc.
3. Bombay crossword - Credited to Austin Coutino
11x11 standard blocked Again enum not given
One clue that hit my eye is "Sister, from a convent?"
Clues relate to Mumbai city - its environs, citizens, landmarks
===
II - Asian Age
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The NYT crossword - who solves this typically US puzzle?
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III - Mumbai Age
I think it is supplement of the paper The Asian Age
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11x11 standard blocked Easy/Quick/Syn clues
No enus for clues - where an answer is a phrase of more than one word, phrasal length is given
No credit given; my guess is it is UK syndicated, the syndicate itself must be a lesser known, source perhaps being a county newspaper
===
IV - Bombay Times
US syn puzzle from Tribune Conteny Agency LLC
My guess is this is a space filler with very littlefollowing from readers
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V - Mumbai Mirror
13x13 standard blocked with straightforward clues
Not credited but obviously by an Indian as there are local references
Clues are none-too-brief. Any solver is likely to be encouraged to go on and finish the puzzle
===
VI - DNA
13x13 standard blocked with straightforward clues
UK syndicated - source not mentioned
A clue: Adult males (3)
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VI - Indian Express (upcountry edition)
13x13 standard blocked
Source not mentioned but it is Roger Squire's 13x syndicated by UK agency - same as what we have in NIE from Chennai
Printed more decently than NIE
===
VII - Afternoon Despatch and Courier
13x13 open blocked
Quick CWD with s
Source not indicated - UK syndicated, prob. one set of clues from The Sun coffeebreak two-in-one crossword
The reverse of the cutting has a larger 15x15 also Quick/Straightforward
Not credited but obviously local set by an Indian
No enu given
Dlipkumar and Nergis [sic] hit of 1948
(Ends)
Wanna bet you know the setter of at least some of the Mumbai ones?😀
DeleteHa Ha ! N ota a J oke ! Ok for starters ?
DeleteCV: There are folks who do all kinds of crosswords. I do the Ayurvedic crossword that appears in the Sunday India Express Mag section. After all, crosswords are for knowledge. Like in today's TALARIA and DROLLNESS are new to me. I thought it was DROLLERY? !
Deleteagain, you need all the time in the world and PATIENCE to do the tabloid size crossword in the Bombay COURIER> I have a collection of them.
Tassels at the bottom? Bottom of the pants or bottom at the top of the pants?
ReplyDelete😁 at the bottom of the pants. To avoid further ambiguity at the end after the flare 😎
DeleteJust clothes as theme? Or something else too?
ReplyDeleteDresses nicely fitted around the grid. Some humorous surfaces 19A, 25D.
ReplyDeleteThanks Incognito
Hardly expected 'Bottle Bombs' to lead to 'Bell Bottoms'! It took a while.
ReplyDeleteRefer Kishore's remarks at 8:59 above
ReplyDeleteSomething else not visible to me
Will update at noon. In the meantime, a hint ... it has to do with military action
DeleteI think the picture of Raglan is not what Kishore meant.
DeleteIt is named after Lord Raglan, the 1st Baron Raglan,[2] who is said to have worn a coat with this style of sleeve after the loss of his arm in the Battle of Waterloo.
DeleteI think this may give a clue to the theme, but I am not able to get it.
Clothing named after people & places?
DeleteBattle of Balaclava? Other theme words might be: Fortified, tunnelling, crimea, cannon,,order,buttress
Deletei think you have got it. K to confirm.
Delete+1 cardigan
DeleteVasant gets the cookie, coconut and cigar! Yes, the battle that was immortalised in the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade. Cardigan, Raglan (both relatives of each other) and Balaclava are common to both themes
Delete😀😀👍👍
DeleteTotally entertaining, as usual:)
ReplyDeleteWhile I may have introduced theme in THC, the introduction of double theme (one major and another mini) undoubtedly goes to Incognito, I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks, sir. You also introduced Incognito to THC 😀
Delete...and to a wider audience.
DeletePaddy, Lord Raglan's wardrobe innovation has now evolved into the one in the picture
ReplyDeleteCannon to right of them,
ReplyDeleteCannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d; Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die:
These stanzas are very evocative and I wish they were also put in , one way or the other !
Well compiled Kishore.
Please solve Military Clobber by Curmudgeon at
Deletehttp://www.crossword.org.uk/military.html
I was wondering about the 'cannons behind them' part. On checking, it comes in the second part when they were RETURNING after the charge- but not the six hundred. Long since I read the poem.
DeleteI WAS VERY MUCH RELAXED WHEN FINISHED IT.THANK YOU INCOGNITO
ReplyDeleteIncognito incomprehensible, as always!
ReplyDeleteMay I be of assistance?
DeleteCol: The two themes nicely coloured with the overlapping theme words very apparent. Thanks Sir
ReplyDeleteKishore: WHy Clobber me with the curmudgeon and take me in circles ? I used to get the clippings of these types and try them too. I have a few unsolved ones to be done when I would be hit by Parkinson's !
ReplyDeleteThe answer to Why will be apparent only if you solve it
DeleteDo I have to curl up in coils? Since you recommend, I shall give it a push to run in circles !
DeleteWanna bet who Curmudgeon is?
Delete26D. Last month returns primarily enhance yield (4) missing here.
ReplyDelete