Today being Friday only the blank clues will be posted. All those who are silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. There is no limit on how many answers you want to give. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake someone will correct it with the right annotation.
The regular blog will replace the clues at 4 PM after which anyone is free to comment.
Thanks everyone for the great response. Here is the regular blog.
ACROSS
8 Harry's sibling not one who follows Queen? (6) BOTHER B
9 Contacting individually through phone call (8) REACHING {R{EACH}ING}
10 Girlfriend's diamonds pinched (8) SQUEEZED {SQUEEZE}{D}
11 Practising lessons to extinguish fires (6) INGLES [T]
12 Points out a part of engine (6) PISTON*
13 Calculating runs is normal when chasing (8) COUNTING COU(-r+n)NTING
15 Elation about getting digital protection perhaps (7) TOENAIL*
17 Maiden over earlier at cricket ground leads to dismissal (7) REMOVAL {RE}{M}{OVAL}
20 Sign of European ace running out of luck (8) EVIDENCE {E}VIDENCE Anno pending
22 Son wearing a posh pullover that's impressive (6) AUGUST {A}{U}{GU{S}T<=}
23 Bird enthusiast follows quietly (6) PLOVER {P}{LOVER}
25 Excitement heightened beyond limits when allowed to vote (8) EIGHTEEN
26 Legal document requiring witness drafted (8) DESIGNED {DE{SIGN}ED}
27 Unpleasant persons shot fifty ousels on lake (6) LOUSES {L}{OUSE
DOWN
1 Doctor left in very old British war plane (8) MOSQUITO {MO}{S{QUIT}O}
2 Warned unruly teen to stay in line (10) THREATENED {THREA{TEEN*}D}
3 Defiant supporter joins religious school (6) BRAZEN {BRA}{ZEN}
4 Relationship manager rides on tube for work (7) PRODUCT {PRO}{DUCT}
5 Guy at hospital room about to get treatment for hands (8) MANICURE {MAN}{ICU}{RE}
6 Hoodlum's boat circling harbour (4) THUG {T{H}UG}
7 Reduced rates to enter bar for probationer … (6) INTERN {IN{TER
14 … still fellow's often dull and pensive (10) THOUGHTFUL {THOUGH}T{F}{
16 Blind girl on train mistreated (8) IGNORANT {G+ON+TRAIN}*
18 A news broadcast read loudly gets acknowledged (8) ANSWERED {A}{NEWS*}{RED}(~read)
19 Goal achieved by cricket side's superstars (7) LEGENDS {LEG{END}S}
21 Avalanche's roar over top of valley reverberated (6) VOLLEY {YELL}{O}{V
22 Pattern that's left out from gallery inadvertently (6) ARGYLE GAL
24 Individual in armed forces stood up endlessly proud (4) VAIN {N{I}AV
GRID
Bhargav's Tale
What did the THUG upon REACHING the age of EIGHTEEN dare to do?
He THREATENED the "IGNORANT" father of the girl he was COURTING.
But he did not seem to BOTHER and the thug's threats were in VAIN.
The THOUGHTFUL father had informed the police and saw to the REMOVAL of the thug to the prison as an INTERN!!
9A REACHING {R{EACH}ING}, contacting
ReplyDelete6D THUG {T{Harbour}UG} hoodlum
5D MANICURE {MAN}{ICU}{RE} treatment for hands
11A INGLES; fires (T)
ReplyDelete4D PRODUCT = work ={PRO}(relatiosship manager) {DUCT} (tube)
ReplyDelete13A COURTING =chasing R replacing N in COUNTING ( calculating)
ReplyDeleteIt's COUNTING with N replacing R (Runs is Normal) in COURTING
Delete9a: REACHING [EACH(=individually) in RING (= phone call)].
ReplyDelete12a: PISTON [points*]
23a: PLOVER [P (=quietly) LOVER (=enthusiast )
26a: DESIGN [SIGN (=witness) in DEED (=legal document)]
3d: BRA(=supporter)ZEN (=religious school).
4d: PRO(=relationship manager)DUCT (=tube)
6d: THUG [H(=h(-arbour)) inside
TUG (=boat)]
14d: THOUGHTFUL [THOUGHT (=still)F (=fellow)UL (=dUlL)]
16d: IGNORANT [G(-IRL)ON TRAIN*]
22D: ARGYLE [=gal(-l)ery*]
24d: VAIN [I (=individual) in NAV (-Y)<=]
Thought is not Still. Though is STILL
DeleteMy understanding:
DeleteStill = photo / image
Image = perception / thought.
If we annotate with 'though', then how to get 't'?
Apologies. The clue has been framed wrongly. There's no accounting for T. Escaped scrutiny despite checking.
Delete1ac bother - not one (both) queen er
ReplyDelete18dn answered - Anews + red (read)
3dn brazen - support (bra) religious school (zen)
15ac toenail - elation anagram
Annotation for 18D to be indicated as {A}{NEWS*}{RED}(~read)
DeleteI parsed 1A as Brother minus R. Else sibling is not in play. Any thoughts?
Delete+1 Shrikanth.
DeleteI also parsed it as BROTHER (sibling) - R (one following Queen, R follows Q)
+2.
Delete+3
Delete+4
Delete7D INTERN probationer {IN{RaTEs}*N}
ReplyDeleteHow will 'reduced' lead to removal of A nd E?
DeleteTER beats me. On googling found TER is an abbreviation for TOTAL EXPENSE RATIO. The net rates will be reduced by this. Bit too far fetched to be correct.
DeleteYes. Stretching it for. In any case TER is the rate. So role of reduced? Answer is simple in my understanding.
DeleteI took rates = TERM to get TER after reduction.
DeleteTFD gives rates as the synonym for term
What is the role of 'Bar' in the clue?
DeleteThat's what I had in mind. Thinking back, could have used something else to get TER, as it's difficult to derive Ter from reduction in rates.
DeleteRefer http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/NMWdZ/PpdMZ/LmPbK/NeoaZ/MhMaZ/KfjpZ/OlfTK/search
DeletePaddy @1:14 Bar = Inn
DeleteThank you Col. Then it's only for the surface- just wondering if it would be part of wordplay.
DeletePaddy, the anno is TER inside INN so it is part of wp.
DeleteOh! How did I miss that. Thank you Raghu.
Delete12a piston from points
ReplyDelete10a SQUEEZED {SQUEEZE}{D} =pinched; squeeze=slang for girlfriend
ReplyDelete2D THREATENED= warned = {THREA{TEEN)*D}; thread,synonym of line
ReplyDelete5d manicure guy-man icu hospital room re -about
ReplyDelete1d MOSQUITO = british war plane {MO}{S{QUIT}O} ; MO= doctor left=QUIT OS = OS, old style? not sure
ReplyDeletevery = SO
Deletedefinition is old British war plane!
DeleteEighteen
ReplyDelete25aeighteen heightened minus h and d
ReplyDelete25D EIGHTEEN = allowed to vote - it is {hEIGHTENEd} with (E)xcitement promoted in order
ReplyDelete,27 a louser?
ReplyDelete27A LOUSES unpleasant persons {L}{lOUSES}
ReplyDelete20A EVIDENCE = sign; {E--} {proVIDENCE} (luck)
ReplyDelete22a august?
ReplyDelete25A AUGUST = impressive {A}{U} {GU{S)T}. son=S posh=U TUG = pull over(indicator for reversal ?)
DeleteOver is the reversal indicator; Pull=tug
Delete22a august?
ReplyDelete19D LEGENDS =superstars {LEG{END}S} LEGS, plural of leg?
ReplyDeleteOffside, legside. side's -leg{s}
Delete15A TOENAIL. {Elation}*
ReplyDelete17A. REMOVAL = dismissal, Maiden M earlier re cricket ground oval
ReplyDelete27A LOUSES - Unpleasant persons [OUSELS-L]* on {L}ake
ReplyDelete21d: VOLLEY (Avalanche)
ReplyDeleteTop of valley = V
Over = o
Roar reverberated = (YELL <=) =LLEY
Yell o v ≤- is final representation
ReplyDeleteVery engaging puzzle today, lots of good clues, with western half being a class act. SQUEEZED, PLOVER and TOENAIL in particular were favourites. Wish some other word was chosen instead of Valley for 21d, rather close to the solution. Unfortunately we don't have a crossword editor, else the small lapse in 14d would easily have been picked up and corrected, this does happen occasionally despite proof reading
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bhala. On reading the annos for volley realised that it is a letter different from valley. However, one did not have to simply substitute O for A, to get volley, so from that view point I think it's alright. About the boob in THOUGHTFUL, cannot point the finger at anybody but myself.
ReplyDeleteRaghu : OOPS !! Boob in plural is boobs meaning you know what ! Booboo is a mistake ! Boohoo is what you will tell me !!
ReplyDeleteThough , never mind being not thoughtful, as otherwise ,
an excellent grid that thrilled me ! You can grin ear to ear !
Fortunately there was only one lapse and not more ;-)
DeleteNow I understand why I found it a little tougher than normal Phantom puzzles!
ReplyDeleteI meant for Bhala's appreciation, but equally applies to Raju's comments as well.
ReplyDelete24d navy stood up is yvan, endlessly is yvan?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed update of the blog
ReplyDeleteNice tale once again by CGB. Anno of Evidence given by Jacob@9:08
ReplyDelete