ACROSS
1 Thin boxes, say (6) SPARSE (~spars)
4 Tree outside church, a source of food for children (8) PLACENTA {PLA{CE}NT}{A}
10 PM following almost nobody (9) AFTERNOON {AFTER}{NO ONe}
11 Traps wriggling fish (5) SPRAT*
12 Travelling native reached America's second state (7) VIETNAM {NATIVE}*{aMe...a}
13 Room #100 and #1 rejected — they are extremely cold (7) ICECAPS {SPACE}{C}{1}<=
14 Possibly pleasant to rub pet in the nose (5) NASALpLeASANt*
15 Maybe felt important (8) MATERIAL [DD]
18 Prate stupidly about English Christmas gift (4,4) PEAR TREE {PRATE}*{RE}{E}
23 Continue wearing stripes (7) PERSIST*
25 Manage a number of deliveries with ease, reportedly (7) OVERSEE {OVERS}{EE}(~e's)
26 Girl taken in by wanton scoundrel (5) ROGUE {RO{G}UE}
27 Betters disclosed where casinos could be found (9) OUTSTRIPS {OUT}{STRIPS}
28 Handy device to capture day's first set of actions (2-2,4) TO-DO LIST {TO{Day}OL}{1ST}
29 Back from a grave (6) ASTERN {A}{STERN}
DOWN
1 Looking to eat, very hungry (8) STARVING {STAR{V}ING}
2 Cruel man killed Frank (7) ARTLESSheARTLESS
3 Murderer left, stabbing visitor (9) STRANGLER {STRANG{L}ER}
5 Growing old like a smilodon? (4,2,3,5) LONG IN THE TOOTH Def by example
6 America's team claims race (5) CASTE [T]
7 Peace is invariant, limitless, exceptional (7) NIRVANAiNVARIANt*
8 Where one may see cricket teams declare? (6) ATTEST {AT}{TEST}
9 Celebrations in advance…drinking payasam in conclusion, with second helpings (14) COMMEMORATIONS {CO{p...aM}ME}{MO}{RATIONS}
16 Risky games allowed in freeways (9) ROULETTES {ROU{LET}TES}
17 Sniper, extremely calculative, somehow enters on the sly (6,2) CREEPS IN {SNIPER+Ca...vE}*
19 Violently angered... (7) ENRAGED* &lit
21 ...in a tough situation, it's silly to be aggressive (7) HOSTILE {HO{ITS*}LE}
22 Model, describing split-up, demonstrates courage (6) SPIRIT {S{RIP<=}IT}
24 Setter's understanding is perfect (5) IDEAL {I}{DEAL}
GRID
1 Thin boxes, say (6) SPARSE (~spars)
4 Tree outside church, a source of food for children (8) PLACENTA {PLA{CE}NT}{A}
10 PM following almost nobody (9) AFTERNOON {AFTER}{NO ON
11 Traps wriggling fish (5) SPRAT*
14 Possibly pleasant to rub pet in the nose (5) NASAL
15 Maybe felt important (8) MATERIAL [DD]
18 Prate stupidly about English Christmas gift (4,4) PEAR TREE {PRATE}*{RE}{E}
On the First day of Christmas my true love sent to me
a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
On the Second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
On the Third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Three French Hens,[5]
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
20 A leading personality at the theatre (5) USHER [CD]23 Continue wearing stripes (7) PERSIST*
25 Manage a number of deliveries with ease, reportedly (7) OVERSEE {OVERS}{EE}(~e's)
26 Girl taken in by wanton scoundrel (5) ROGUE {RO{G}UE}
27 Betters disclosed where casinos could be found (9) OUTSTRIPS {OUT}{STRIPS}
28 Handy device to capture day's first set of actions (2-2,4) TO-DO LIST {TO{D
29 Back from a grave (6) ASTERN {A}{STERN}
DOWN
1 Looking to eat, very hungry (8) STARVING {STAR{V}ING}
2 Cruel man killed Frank (7) ARTLESS
3 Murderer left, stabbing visitor (9) STRANGLER {STRANG{L}ER}
5 Growing old like a smilodon? (4,2,3,5) LONG IN THE TOOTH Def by example
6 America's team claims race (5) CASTE [T]
7 Peace is invariant, limitless, exceptional (7) NIRVANA
8 Where one may see cricket teams declare? (6) ATTEST {AT}{TEST}
9 Celebrations in advance…drinking payasam in conclusion, with second helpings (14) COMMEMORATIONS {CO{
16 Risky games allowed in freeways (9) ROULETTES {ROU{LET}TES}
17 Sniper, extremely calculative, somehow enters on the sly (6,2) CREEPS IN {SNIPER+C
19 Violently angered... (7) ENRAGED* &lit
21 ...in a tough situation, it's silly to be aggressive (7) HOSTILE {HO{ITS*}LE}
22 Model, describing split-up, demonstrates courage (6) SPIRIT {S{RIP<=}IT}
24 Setter's understanding is perfect (5) IDEAL {I}{DEAL}
GRID
Feels nice to be the first one to comment on this excellent and enjoyable CW from Kriskross. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your 1st comment was a pleasant surprise. Keep them coming!
Delete+1
DeleteThanks Paddy
DeleteThank you Col. for reminding me about the famous Christmas song. Though I knew it , I did not connect until I saw the blog.
ReplyDelete+1 for the famous christmas song
Delete13A is my COD.
ReplyDelete....and the leading personality in the theatre is not far behind.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThank you Vasant & MB.Time difference is the problem- otherwise I don;t want to miss the fun. After enjoying the CW in the evening, I decided to keep awake and put in my two cents of appreciation. It was past 11pm here.
DeleteCents?You are Americanised!:-)
DeleteBeautiful puzzle. My favourite was 5D...learnt a new idiom and a new animal..thanks Kriskross and Col. for the most instructive blog
ReplyDelete+1;
Delete13 across and 9 down clues are brilliantly designed.
Thanks Vasant and Karthikeyan!
DeleteI liked it very much...KrisKross rocks, as always!
ReplyDeleteBest ones are 5D and 13AC
Thank you!
Delete9D- how do you get "MO"
ReplyDeleteFrom Free Dict.
Delete2. moment - an indefinitely short timemoment - an indefinitely short time; "wait just a moment"; "in a mo"; "it only takes a minute"; "in just a bit"
mo, second, minute, bit
Second = Moment = Mo
DeleteCan someone please explain the anno for 22D! how do we get sit?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Model (Verb)
ReplyDelete3. model - assume a posture as for artistic purposes; "We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often"
pose, posture, sit
From Free Dict.
We have been missing The Phantom! Any reason for his absence?
ReplyDeleteHis last comment indicated he is going to stop setting. Hope that is not the case.
DeleteHe is also not seen here as a commenter. He used to be a regular here.
He will resurface soon I believe.
ReplyDeleteAwaiting it. Sooner the better.
ReplyDeleteIt is 1130 am local time here. Did KrisKross after breakfast. My COD is PLACENTA. Beautiful wordplay. OUTSTRIPS= Casinos- what's th connection ?
ReplyDeleteBecause of timelag, losing all the fun of active participation. So, I have decided to do the crossies in the laptop, last thing in MY day ! Would entail being left to shut off all lights as last of my duty, as all others are early- to -bed types !
KKR: You had asked for clues from The Times. I have posted a few yesterday. So please try them, ye-all by going back to yesterday each day and pass your comments.
KKR:you can also read all the Times clues posted daily in the blog Times for Times(Daily Cryptic, Quiptic and week end Jumbos and Sunday Times..also Monthly club puzzles and specials)
DeleteNot Quiptic(which is a Guardian affair) but called Quick Cryptic in The Times.
DeleteHere is the link to the blog:
Deletehttps://times-xwd-times.livejournal.com/
VASANT: KKR was essentially curious about the clue-art of those days in the Times of London as I am doing old ones now. Otherwise, there is no dearth (death?) of variations in the cryptic clue-art.
DeleteApologies for barging in on your conversation...
DeleteThe offer is open to all and there was nothing for anyone ' barging' ! In one of my crossies of 2007, I found one themed grid on computers. So the New Age had just set in The compilers had by then gotten used to booting and suiting themselves to the new era.
DeleteRefers to Las Vegas strip. Please check the link provided in the clue in the blog.
ReplyDeleteRaju,
ReplyDeleteTH CW is available at 3 pm NY time. So you can do it in broad daylight- like I did yesterday. I only had to burn midnight oil to read the blog and post comment- which I managed to do.
I am sure you would have visited 'The Strip' at Las Vegas during one of your trips. If not, do it during this stay and try your luck at the 16D!
Trust Col. to give interesting links in the main post.
Raju,
ReplyDeleteTRe. your query about 'cabbage' yesterday- again you missed Col.'s link. Here is an extract from it for your ref.-
Verb 1. pilfer - make off with belongings of otherspilfer - make off with belongings of others
cabbage, filch, purloin, snarf, nobble, abstract, swipe, pinch, sneak, hook, lift
steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
Thanks Paddy & CGB. I wonder how a detailed earlier response to ye-all has vanished into cyberspace ! I repeat:
ReplyDeleteI am on the East side and there is no wish to travel all the way to the West. Maybe, for my next trip from Japan next year, we'll choose that side. Again, I am not a believer in gambling and the few occasions I had visited in Mombasa and Nairobi's casinos , I was a mascot for those who came with me and the croupiers used to glare at me disapprovingly. The roulette needle always stops either before or after the number in which one has staked-- Like an unluckily married man ! . Again, no gambler with any amount of will power can stay away after a win to have a flutter to win again only to lose repeatedly and then one gets trapped in the vicious circle ! Otherwise, how does one explain the casinos thriving and the gamblers losing ? Rare is the case of a gambler taking away a tidy sum and never to return !
I normally finish the crossies and then visit the comments side only to confirm my own annotations and rarelylook at the links unless there is a music or a dance posted by the Col.
The THCC website gets posted early and I realized it only after your tip. thanks. I have completed today's (7th)by Sunnet. I'll post my comments if aI am still awake after 1030 hre, which is the Col's 830am.