Three answers as usual till 6 PM. (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.
ACROSS
1 Jerry and Tom abandon old English city (6)
4 Bird stealing cousin’s jacket (8)
9 Will I not get peace? (6)
10 Sexy star is dancing thus, starting to take off (3,5)
11 Want to distribute drink bottles for an Illegal trader ? (5,9)
13 Their fans follow their footsteps, maybe? (3,7)
14 Part of the Bible briefly reviewed in eight sections (4)
16 This is needed for cultivating rice and wheat, essentially (4)
18 Don’t switch off iPads-observe closely (4,4,2)
21 Moved around, scribes virtually had to make excessive adjustments (14)
23 A church is razed in Baluchistan’s unsettled capital (8)
24 Desert wind is retreating with low sun on the Eastern border (6)
25 Truck driver in New York “Cha, sir? I will be going out” (8)
26 Some shrug and accept this state (6)
DOWN
1 Mao set limits for nearly everyone (4)
2 Boat’s observation point with small room on top (7)
3 Tyrant’s gold – two carats – was broken and removed (8)
5 Introduction dropped from our paper about self-esteem (5-6)
6 It is karma, not a silly mistake (6)
7 Reportedly inexperienced, curt doctors (7)
8 Extremely slim female? I want her any which way (5-4)
12 Ridiculously simple combination of speech, data entry and navigation devices (6-5)
13 Killer’s slip is revealed in empty threat (9)
15 Annoying, hard, fish-eating idiot (8)
17 Sloth in Eritrea shreds trimmed leaves after it gets up (7)
19 Record day in South Eastern settlement (3,4)
20 Vessel’s filled with ice-cream cakes (6)
22 Humming bird from China’s borders (4)
Across Lite version can be accessed at AVTAAR 3
Enjoy.
19d S E T (D)OWN
ReplyDeleteYes, that is right
DeleteError in 13D. It should read killer’s slip is revealed in empty threat (9)
ReplyDeleteSorry for the error
Updated in main post
DeleteThank you Colonel
Delete3d AUTOCRATS (AU TWO CARATS - WAS)*
ReplyDeleteautocrat
Delete1A MUSCAT M(-o)US(-e) CAT
ReplyDelete11A BLACK MARKETEER B(LACK)(MARKET)EER
3D AUTOCRAT AU+{TWO CARATS(-was)}*
All 3π
Delete1d MOST (M(-A)O S(-E)T)
ReplyDeleteYes, Ram. Good solve
DeleteMaking up for 3d
ReplyDelete1D M(-a)O S(-e)T
That is also done. Take another Vasant
DeleteTaken Sir.
Delete23ac Istanbul (baluchistan-a+ch)*
ReplyDelete26ac Uganda (T)
1dn most m(a)o s(e)t
23A. 26 A π.
DeleteTake one more for 1D. Already solved
Again making up for 1 D
ReplyDelete13D TERRORIST Error is in T(-hrea)T
Good solve π
Delete14A : ESTH<= eigHT SEctions
ReplyDelete8Dn : WAFER-THIN {F}{{I WANT HER}*
Typo : {F + I WANT HER}*
Deleteπ for both
Deletevery good offer. will rate 12a as cod.
ReplyDelete12d pls
DeleteThanks π
Delete5dn amour propre
ReplyDelete(From-f our paper)*
Excellent π.
DeleteThat’s is your 3rd
18A : Don’t switch off iPads-observe closely (4,4,2) KEEP TABS ON [DD]
ReplyDeleteExcellent π
Delete18A KEEP TABS ON DD
ReplyDelete13A TAP DANCERS CD
2D S+HALL+OP
Super π
DeleteThanks for the great entertainment SSv! :)
ReplyDeleteπ
DeleteCompensating for 18A
ReplyDelete9A SHANT + I
Good solve π
Delete12 Ridiculously simple combination of speech, data entry and navigation devices (6-5)
ReplyDeleteMIC KEY MOUSE
An excellent crossword with several good clues. I am again dismayed that Indian newspapers are not tapping wonderful talent in crossword setting. Just one newspaper having an original crossword cannot accommodate available talent. Any newspaper with a crossword editor can have enough and more material for a weekly original.
This is like my favourite and most audacious combination of bra and vest.
DeleteThank you sir π
Delete24A - SIMOON {IS<=}{MOO}{(-su)N}
ReplyDelete25A - TEAMSTER {TEA}{M(-a)STER}
6D - KISMET {MIST(-a)KE}*
Super π
DeleteI had intended Mister not master, though , for Sir
DeleteI thought 25A was TEA MISTER -I (not master)
DeleteYes Ramki
Delete4A, 10A, 16A, 21A, 24A, 25A
ReplyDelete6D,7D,15D, 17D, 20D, 22D
Remaining
20 down S(CONE)S
ReplyDeleteπ
Delete21a Moved around, scribes virtually had to make excessive adjustments (14)
ReplyDeleteOVERCOMPENSATE
I see PENS(scribes) I see ATE(had) - still working
moved->overcome around pens at (virtually->almost ate/had)
DeleteGood solve π
Delete15 down H ASS LING
ReplyDeleteπ
Delete4A Bird stealing cousin’s jacket (8)
ReplyDeleteMackinaw which is a jacket
kin (cousin) inside Macaw(bird)
π
Delete10A Sexy star is dancing thus, starting to take off (3,5)
ReplyDeleteHot stuff
Anagram of(dancing) Thus and T (starting To) and Off
π
Delete7D Reportedly inexperienced, curt doctors (7)
ReplyDeleteNeuters
Sounds like(reportedly) New(inexperienced) Terse( Curt)
π
Delete15 Annoying, hard, fish-eating idiot (8)
ReplyDeleteHASSLING
H (ASS) LING
Right, sir. Solved earlier by Bhargav too
Delete17 down INERTIA
ReplyDeleteSH(re)DS -RE leaving
TI becomes IT
IN ERITREA - RE
ππ
DeleteIT becomes TI
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteOnly 16A and 22D left
ReplyDelete16a RAIN CD
ReplyDelete22d (IN)(CA)
All done and dusted
Delete16A is not a CD though
It is g(RAIN)s with whole clue as definition - semi &lit
Full anno for INCA? Guessed it but could not anno
Delete16a gRAINs (rice an wheat are grains, essentially rain)
DeleteHummingbird is the definition for Inca
DeleteIN (from)+ C(-hin)A
From direct definition of “in” as per chambers. From;out of; as in “two in every eight”
Definition in OED .
Deletehttps://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/inca
i thought for semi&lit, the def should be fairly straight. water is essential to cultivation but not necessarily rain. hence i took it as CD. (the screen refresh delay beat me in full expansion)
DeleteThanks, all for the encouraging feedback. It was a pleasure to set the grid .
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Col. Deepak for providing the opportunity
Thanks for the special Sreeni
DeleteVery nice grid, Sreeni! Enjoyed the clues - 12D was my COD. Keep them coming.
ReplyDelete40 minutes of nice entertainment. Interesting clues. Enjoyed solving. Thank you Avtaar/Sreeni!
ReplyDeleteThank you ranger π
DeleteHad to be away the whole day. Missed all the fun and the excitement of solving while still hot.
ReplyDeleteExcellent CW and thoroughly enjoyed solving it. Several good clues to list. Learnt a few too.Thank you Sreeni.
Thank you Padmanabhan π
DeleteVery warming puzzle on a very cold day here in New Haven from Avtar Sreeni. I could identify the name with the face as I had just finished the book CROSSROADS in which he had featured an equally invigorating puzzle. I agree with CV that the Indian newspapers ought to encourage our compilers by introducing a Cryptic puzzle section. In any case, they are starved for space due to advertisements that rake in the moolah and they can easily find a sponsor for each day, preferably throwing in a prize today on a weekly basis. Avtar: when is your next bi (e)rth here in this blog ?
ReplyDeleteMICKEY MOUSE, NEUTERS, UGANDA were very nicely done. Keep them coming!
ReplyDelete