Saturday 1 December 2018

No 12486, Saturday 01 Dec 2018, Dr. X


Across

1. Unpopular act involving tax (8) DETESTED {DE{TEST}ED}
5. Drunk woman aboard spirited horse (6) STEWED {STE{W}ED}
10. Taste a bit of lasagna in gala (5) FLAIR {F{Lasagna}AIR}
11. Good luck fixing leak in rickety barge (5,1,3) BREAK A LEG {LEAK*} IN {BARGE*}
12. Concealing ball tampering, liar tries to get rid of sandpaper finally in a game (9) SOLITAIRE {LAIR+TrIES*} around {O}
13. Scapegoats easily kept perplexed (2,3) AT SEA (T)
14. Love the wings of white exotic bird (6) TOWHEE {O+THE+WhitE*} Thanks to Col.

15. Engineer // put to death (7) EXECUTE (DD)
18. Crime of dealer in stolen goods (7) OFFENCE {OF}{FENCE}
20. One providing timber stock heartlessly (6) POPLAR {POPuLAR}
22. Comments given by nationalist for victory in elections (5) NOTES {(-v+N)OTES}
24. Careless girl chasing hot men having sex appeal (3-2-4) HIT-OR-MISS {H{IT} {OR}}{MISS}
25. Performing after desire in sack grew rapidly (9) BURGEONED {B{URGE}{ON}ED}
26. Roused by astonishment over sanction (5) AWOKE {A{OK}WE}
27. What might hamper a murder investigation? Mediocrity (6) NOBODY {NO}{BODY}
28. Force husband to break unfortunate impasse (8) EMPHASIS {H} in {IMPASSE*}

Down

1. Agent backing operation to reduce tension (6) DEFUSE {FED<=}{USE}
2. Upper-class person receiving protests becomes quieter (6,3) TRAILS OFF {T{RAILS} OFF}
3. What a person with lice infestation might do // to express bewilderment? (7,4,4) SCRATCH ONES HEAD (DD)
4. Deep recession? (3,4) EBB TIDE (CD)
6. Doctor's instruction while checking with stethoscope –//  'Relax!' (4,1,4,6) TAKE A DEEP BREATH (DD)
7. Reasons to arrest student making flags (5) WILTS {WI{L}TS}
8. Perverts drag revolutionary involved in raising issue (8) DEGRADES {DE{DRAG*}ES<=}
9. Hard to dissolve marriage finally (6) SEVERE {SEVER}{marriagE}
16. Concerted move to remove Republican facing hostility around globe (9) UNANIMOUS {rUN}{ANIM{O}US}
17. Where people might be in two minds? (5,3) LOONY BIN (CD)
19. Gas beneath ground exuding trace of butane (6) ETHANE {bENEATH*}
20. Spot renegade meeting crazy revolutionary in European city (7) POTSDAM {SPOT*}{MAD<=}
21. Snakes surrounding fellows! Losing head, they tremble in forest (6) ASPENS {ASP{mEN}S}
23. Beat heartless star (5) THROB {heartTHROB}

Reference List

 Woman=W, Ball=O, Love=O, Nationalist=N, Victory=V, Hot=H, Men= OR, Sex Appeal=It, Husband=H
Agent=Fed, Student=L, Republican=R, Globe=O

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

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39 comments:

  1. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 08:51

    Thanks Doc and Ramesh!
    6DN is easy and direct

    ReplyDelete
  2. Padmanabhan1 December 2018 at 08:53

    ...and one did not have to 3D to get it.
    For a change, loved nobody!

    ReplyDelete
  3. D.Chandrasekhar1 December 2018 at 08:55

    1A tax = TEST ? How

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chaturvasi1 December 2018 at 09:03

    I had testing/taxing times when I had to live in Chennai with a baby while my husband was working in Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chaturvasi1 December 2018 at 09:06

    Don't tax/test me with tales of your boring experiences in your mundane life.

    ReplyDelete
  6. raju umamaheswar1 December 2018 at 09:23

    Dr X from Bombay : Nice with the lice clue. I scratched my head and then took a deep breath and realised that the answer was right there in my head.

    Loony Bin ? Mad house ? If you are in two minds , you are in doubt; why you should you be then in the loony bin ?

    POTSDAM; Amsterdam, Rotterdam and now Potsdam? Damn ! I couldn't figure out. Heard of it in New York. but why European country ? I am all at sea !


    DETESTED = Unpopular? The tax element tested my brain and I thought of Cess, VAT, GST, etc. ; aren't we'all taxed enough already ?

    TOWHEE- I stewed and chewed my toe, never knew it is a tweetr bird --- teheee !

    SOLITAIRE: rang a bell for an engagement ring-- turned out to be a single person's game , without any partner .

    Dr X : your Xwords are with a Flair, Extra -special ! Made me to go to sleep without a need to be woken up at near'midnight this Friday ! Thanks a lot and good night to me and morning to you !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar1 December 2018 at 10:26

      Thanks Raju for solving! 'Answer was right there in my head'...hilarious :)!
      It's European city (not country). Wasn't aware of Potsdam in New York! Live and learn. If something is unpopular, it is disliked/detested (direct syn from Chambers). Thanks again for the kind words and have a great night and weekend!

      Delete
    2. Vasant1 December 2018 at 11:34

      Dr. X from Bombay:Raju, I think it reminded you of the classic movie Mr. X in Bombay.
      "Mere mehboob qayamat hongi
      Aaj roos a Teri galiyon me in mohabat hogi"

      Delete
    3. raju umamaheswar1 December 2018 at 22:07

      Kishore Kumar's croon of this song is an earworm for me !

      Sorry, Doc, I was drowsy last night and missed the town for the country ! Potsdam as a EURPOEAN town is like looking for a needle in a haystack !

      Delete
  7. Mukundala Balasubramanyam1 December 2018 at 10:11

    Thanks to Dr X & Ramesh. An enjoyable weekend fare.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ramki Krishnan1 December 2018 at 10:32

    Enjoyable grid Doc! Found it a bit tougher than usual but the long down clues helped, and the others fell in place quickly. 16D was my COD for the topical(?) surface :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Satyen Nabar1 December 2018 at 10:41

      Thanks Ramki! :) Oh yes this Republican truly deserves to be removed.

      Delete
  9. Vasant1 December 2018 at 11:00

    Great puzzle! The two long ones were the first ones in but had to struggle for loony bin and towhee.
    With so many gems difficult to choose COD but I will go for Nobody. Thanks Dr.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ramani1 December 2018 at 12:07

    IXL Solutions are up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant1 December 2018 at 12:12

      All correct. Though the puzzle was not that tough, few clues were difficult.

      Delete
  11. Mukundala Balasubramanyam1 December 2018 at 12:49

    Well-done Vasant and KKR!
    Mine two errors. WORE for BODE and CURVED for CURVET!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant1 December 2018 at 12:52

      Quite tricky these two clues alongwith Wintertide, decisive, exegesis(cannot still anno the last S) and estate(cannot anno at all).

      Delete
    2. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 13:01

      POINT=ESE this is outside.
      Inside THAT minus H
      ES[TAT]E

      Delete
    3. Vasant1 December 2018 at 13:04

      Great cracking KKR! Thanks!!

      Delete
    4. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 13:07

      EX EG ES I S last S = Signed

      Delete
    5. Vasant1 December 2018 at 13:23

      How is signed=S?

      Delete
    6. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 13:41

      https://www.thefreedictionary.com/S
      see the above link

      Delete
    7. Vasant1 December 2018 at 13:47

      Thanks.. It is given in the last at 7th position..

      Delete
    8. sree_sree1 December 2018 at 17:55

      We use Sd/- https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/does-a-deposition-subpoena-signed-with---s---have--613156.html

      Delete
  12. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 12:51

    Sorry to note MB.
    I spent six minutes to crack bode. Don't know why!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant1 December 2018 at 12:55

      Bode was a hp clue.. always tricky.. To equate bode=~bowed.. .quite difficult

      Delete
    2. sree_sree1 December 2018 at 14:05

      This one took a looking time amidst kartika vans bhojanam. Took a risk and filled up and lost.

      Delete
    3. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 14:21

      Oh, how sad!

      Delete
    4. sree_sree1 December 2018 at 17:50

      Seems many faltered. Not much damage done in the overall leaderboard.

      Delete
    5. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 18:29

      4-letter words are deadly. The clues becomes more dangerous if it gets smaller!

      Delete
  13. sree_sree1 December 2018 at 17:58

    For info on IXL, Will there be next round/s!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vasant1 December 2018 at 21:16

      I heard that all 10 rounds will take place and finals will be held on 23rd..I don't know how this is going to be managed

      Delete
  14. Kolluru Koteswara Rao1 December 2018 at 18:30

    I don't think there is any problem for Round 8

    ReplyDelete
  15. raju umamaheswar1 December 2018 at 22:03

    BODE didn't bode well for me ! Thanks KKR garu. All correct entry for me !

    ReplyDelete

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