Monday 30 July 2018

No 12382, Monday 30 Jul 2018, xChequer


ACROSS
7   Common person's word primarily for Yankee peace officer (6) LAWMAN LA(-y+w)WMAN
8   Party's election setback resulting in a blob (6) DOLLOP {DO}{POLL<=}
10 ‘Lifting weight's silly’ against ‘Bravo, good lifting weight’ (4-4) DUMB-BELL {DUMB}{B}{wELL}
11 Some growth in moles (6) PLANTS [DD]
12 Figures cheat is captured (5) ICONS {I{CON}S}
14 Readily drained a dram poured at sea, traditionally drink when the sun's over this? (7) YARDARM {Re...lY+A+DRAM}*
15 Option taken in legal self-defense, copper for one gets the picture (3,5,7) THE FIFTH ELEMENT THE F{IF}TH {ELEMENT} Anno pending (Addendum - {THE FIFTH} {ELEMENT} - See comments}
18 Recreation perhaps in China for 9 months, do hang around sweetheart (3-4) MAH JONG {M}{AH{JO}NG*} What's the role of 9? See comments
19 Split seconds to go below (5) UNDER sUNDER
20 Fabric lining in pricy kid gloves (6) TRICOT {T{pRICy}OT}
21 Key in the hour leaving alarm set to ring around one (8) MATERIAL {ThE} in {ALARM}* over {1}
23 Left isolated by female, a cross to bear (6) AFFORD {A}{F}{FORD} What's the role of  'Left isolated'? See comments
24 Halcyon days on earth? Delightful conclusion at first (6) EDENIC {E{D}E}{(+e)ENIC(-e)}

DOWN
1   Wave to show meal is hot (8) FLOURISH {FLOUR}{IS}{H} Flour is foodstuff alright, but can one call it a meal? See comments
2   Expression expressing American seaman? (4) SWAB Anno pending (Addendum - {SaW}{AD} - See comments) &lit
3   Pointers for additional entries, to show caution on the way up (6) CARETS {CARE}{ST<=}
4   Rule, one of the finest covering examination of the body (8) CORPORAL {CO{R}P}{ORAL}
5  Murky scam lured a deviant (5,2,3) CLEAR AS MUD*
6   Matter orally expressed in conversation, a little hiding place (6) SPUTUM (~ ???) Anno pending (Addendum - {S{PUT}UM} - See comments)
9   Empathy left out, legal acts to follow established rules (4,3,4)  PLAY THE GAME {EMPATHY+lEGAL}*
13 Rotten chef sacked over tofu served without preparation (3,3,4) OFF THE CUFF {CHEF+TOFU}*{FF} FF from? Not sure of Anno (Addendum - {OFF} {CHEF+ToFU}* - See comments)
16 Ironclad weathering a lot, regularly scrubbed rust spots in sight (8) FLOATERS {F{A+LOT}*E}{RuSt}
17 Usual condition in Japanese theatre: shut up in line (8) NORMALCY {NO}{R{CLAM<=}Y}
18 Being fabulous point in time? Just the opposite (6) MORTAL {MOR{T}AL}
19 Self-possessed family member losing head, messed up (6) UNTIDY {aUNT{I'D}Y}
22 Children take over flat overhead? (4) RENT [T]

GRID

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33 comments:

  1. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 08:32

    15a the fifth (amendment) for serif defense. Element:copper

    ReplyDelete
  2. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 08:32

    18a ref to 9d!

    ReplyDelete
  3. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 08:33

    6d put (place) in sum (HP of some)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath30 July 2018 at 08:48

      Why 'in conversation'

      Delete
    2. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 09:05

      A little:some. In conversation: (HP indicator) in hearing.

      Delete
  4. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 08:44

    2d pure R.E. swb:skinny white boy. expressing:contain indicator american:a. But will wait for better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 13:28

      SaW (SAW-A: American) + AB(seaman)

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao30 July 2018 at 16:31

      I find swabby as "A seaman, esp a new recruit" in Chambers. Swab is defined as "A naval officer's epaulette".
      May I know which dictionary refers to your definition?

      Delete
    3. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 17:15

      https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/swab

      Delete
    4. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 17:37

      @KRK: OED and Free Dictionary at the very least. Basically another term for swabby or swabbie

      Delete
    5. Kolluru Koteswara Rao30 July 2018 at 18:15

      Thanks Bhala & Prasad

      Delete
  5. Deepak Gopinath30 July 2018 at 08:45

    Thanks Prasad

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ramki Krishnan30 July 2018 at 08:46

    13D: I think the anno is (reverse engineered)
    OFF = rotten
    chef sacked over tofu served => (chef + tofu -o)* sacked over => remove o, served is anagrind
    def = without preparation
    OFF + (CHEF + TOFU -O)* => OFF THE CUFF

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ramki Krishnan30 July 2018 at 08:50

    1D: Meal also means ground grain i.e. flour
    meal 1 (mēl)
    n.
    1. The edible whole or coarsely ground grains of a cereal grass.
    2. A granular substance produced by grinding.

    ReplyDelete
  8. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 09:42

    23a left isolated:odd man out?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Deepak Gopinath30 July 2018 at 15:50

    Queries at 15A and 23A yet to be resolved

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sree_sree30 July 2018 at 16:45

      https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/criminal-law-basics/taking-the-5th.html

      Delete
    2. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 17:42

      15A: quite correctly parsed by sree_sree and Ramki earlier

      Delete
    3. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 17:45

      23A: A Cross (A FORD) is left isolated by female (F). I gather you feel Left is extraneous, but I felt it to be more appropriate than just isolated

      Delete
    4. Deepak Gopinath30 July 2018 at 18:35

      I may sound dumb, but I still don't get how 23A works!!

      Left isolated by female, a cross to bear

      A Cross = A FORD (okay)

      Definition = to bear = AFFORD (Okay)

      How does 'Left isolated by female' indicate that F is to ge between A and FORD

      Delete
    5. C.G. BHARGAV30 July 2018 at 18:52

      When the F goes between A FORD they A and FORD are left isolated (i.e. separated) ?

      Delete
    6. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 19:04

      exactly

      Delete
    7. Col_Gopinath31 July 2018 at 05:44

      Thanks Bhargav

      Delete
  10. Ramki Krishnan30 July 2018 at 16:45

    I think 15A is a charade as given by sree_sree @8:32
    Option taken in legal self-defense = THE FIFTH (amendment, but usually they say just "the fifth")
    copper, for one = ELEMENT
    def = picture (the movie "THE FIFTH ELEMENT")

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath30 July 2018 at 18:38

      An indication to the American Constitution would have helped

      Delete
    2. Bhalchandra Pasupathy30 July 2018 at 19:05

      The spelling of defense with an s was a hint to that

      Delete
    3. Vasant30 July 2018 at 20:10

      Wow Bhala!

      Delete
  11. raju umamaheswar30 July 2018 at 17:18

    EXchequer's treasury of tricks of so many deletions and additions had me lose whatever little sanity that is left in me !

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vasant30 July 2018 at 20:08

    After a night travel and whole day at work left me no time until now to get to the puzzle. Did the puzzle leisurely mulling over the clues..the upper half went in nicely with only swab to be annoed..but the bottom portion was very tough..came here to see all the annos..18A,23A,19D..was defeated by 24A...
    Thanks All for the annos, Col. for the blog and XChequer for a challenging puzzle.

    ReplyDelete

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