Sunday 3 March 2019

Special, Sunday 03 Mar 2019, The Zodiac


Welcome to our new setter THE ZODIAC. Bouquets and brickbats welcome.

Three answers per commenter till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.


ACROSS
8   Timid one winces initially; letting out a cry (4)
9 & 10 Athlete from America in bit of legal trouble initially (5,4)
10 see 9A
11 Pure cash? (6)
12 Sister takes jewellery for brothers (8)
13 Very old, hence allowed to enter Order (8)
15 Flawless in judgement (6)
17 Mystery of brilliant animal following father (7)
19 Expression of anger about Indian mother's use of language (7)
22 Took a pistol to capture animals (6)
24 Demolishing remarkable houses around Gandhinagar to start with (8)
26 Island where art is regularly stolen by nearly insane gangster initially (8)
28 Sick Malaysian rejects any new dish (6)
30 They are dropped in shock? (4)
31 Ultimately, the sculptor in Paris lost to this painter (5)
32 Present condition of a relative (2,2)

DOWN
1   Half the limestone content retrieved (4)
2   Mashed guacamole almost causes loss of vision (8)
3   Throw some dynamite inside English bar (6)
4   Girl, trapped in curse, becomes a spirit (7)
5   Bribe son to become more elitist (8)
6   Musician is one wearing new boots (6)
7   Criticise small delay (4)
14 Vitamin deficiency can be awful (5)
16 & 29 Protective wear that is passed around (5,4)
18 Doctor presents honours (8)
20 Guy with a broken leg, left to be an explorer (8)
21 Mostly dry region - a US state (7)
23 Desperately aspire for applause (6)
25 Sees six models (6)
27 Glance at "Performing Flea" (4)
29 see 16D

Across Lite version can be accessed at ZODIAC 1

Enjoy.

47 comments:

  1. 25d VI SITS
    23D PRAISE*
    5D SNOBBIER*

    ReplyDelete
  2. 5d: black (b)(lack)
    23d: praise (aspire)*
    25d: visits (vi)(sits)

    ReplyDelete
  3. 8A: YELL(-ow)
    2D: GLAUCOMA {GUACAMOL(-e)}*
    5D: SNOBBIER (Bribe son)*

    ReplyDelete
  4. 7 down: SNAG= delay small=S + criticise= nag=

    12 across; SIBLINGS= brothers - SI=SI+ BLINGS = jewellery

    15across; INTACT== flawless = in + tact= judgement


    Welcome to the cosmos of croswords , Zodiac. Good ebut . Looks simple , Please avoid three letter words !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raju Check 7D-it doesnt correspond with the crossings of 9 & 10A

      Delete
    2. Raju your anno for 12A is incorrect

      Delete
    3. sorry ! sis+BLING . I hurried up slowly !

      Delete
    4. Thanks, Vasant. I agree . stand corrected, after getting 9 & 10 a. This is why I hate four letter words. Literally !

      Delete
  5. I mean four letter words ! sorry !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why should four letter words be avoided?

      Delete
    2. Drat! hark back RMDC ; wall hall, snag, slag !!! Just so.

      Delete
  6. 15a: intact (in)(tact)
    My last 2 are replacements

    ReplyDelete
  7. 12a:siblings(brothers): {si(bling=jewellery)s}
    22a:okapis(T)
    2d:glaucoma - (guacamole̷)*

    ReplyDelete
  8. Another substitute
    13a: obsolete {OB(SO)(LET)E} = VERY OLD

    ReplyDelete
  9. 20D explorer MAGELLAN {M {A} {LEG*}{L}AN}
    32A present condition AS IS {A}{SIS}
    16&29D CHAIN MAIL (DD) protective cover/that is passed around

    ReplyDelete
  10. 17A Mystery of brilliant animal following father (7) PA + RAD + OX
    26A Island where art is regularly stolen by nearly insane gangster initially (8)
    AL + C(AT)RAZ(y)
    4D  Girl, trapped in curse, becomes a spirit (7) BAN(SHE)E
    Great debut!

    ReplyDelete
  11. 28A SALAMI {Malaysian - any}*
    1Dn SEMI (T Reverse)
    6Dn OBOIST (I in Boots*)

    ReplyDelete
  12. 21d ARIZONA
    (ARID-D)+ (ZONE-E)+A

    ReplyDelete
  13. 6D OBOIST I in BOOTS*
    28A SALAMI MALAYSIAN*- ANY*
    21D ARIZONA ARI(-d)ZON(-e) + A

    ReplyDelete
  14. Simple and elegant debut! Thanks Zodiac.

    ReplyDelete
  15. 9&10ac usain bolt usa+ initial letters of in bit of legal trouble

    ReplyDelete
  16. 31a: ernst(German painter) - acrostic of end letters

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great debut indeed... Thanks Zodiac!

    ReplyDelete
  18. 11a liquid DD
    24 rav(a)(g)ing def:demolishing
    18 (ob)(serves) ef:honours

    ReplyDelete
  19. Taking the last one:
    3DN HUR[D]L+E def. Bar

    ReplyDelete
  20. That completes it, thank you Zodiac

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello everyone!

    This is my first contribution to the THCC blog. Hope you guys liked the set.
    Please give any feedback - good and bad - which will be useful for me for future grids. Thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great to know Kumaresh. Great debut.
      Following the footsteps of your father. Fantastic!!

      Delete
  22. 1d)....Half the limestone content retrieved (4).....Half in limestone i.e SEMI (....T<)
    Had a nice experience of your debut in THCC blog. have a gr8 day

    ReplyDelete
  23. And for those who did not notice it, it was a pangram as well

    ReplyDelete
  24. Well done, Kumaresh.Keep up the good work and let’s see more of you in the blog. Please don’t mind my objection to four letter words in use here. It’s my bete- noire ! Follow the footsteps of your dad.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I just don't see the logic that RajU U gives for his prejudice against four-letter words. In RMDC crosswords of long ago - and later Quotes crosswords in the Weekly - it was not only four-letter answers but all answers of all other enums had the possibility of choosing either of two answers and so there was great element of chance in getting an all-correct grid. Here in Cryptic Crossword, any answer of any length is unique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CV: I beg to disagree. eg: SNAG could mean delay due to a hitch. = S and criticise= nag whereas the answer is SLAG to synchronise with the L in BOLT . Why not take it the other way round ? S+ LAG = delay

      Again: 11 across: PURE CASH= Liquid --- need not be pure but which could be also impure.

      I strongly believe that cryptic cluing must be strict and unambiguous, with all due respects to all compilers in general and the budding compiler here.

      Delete
    2. Didn't get pure/impure? Liquid as adj is clear/pure

      Delete
  26. An elegant pangram for starters! I should say a flying start!
    Keep up the good work.
    Started late and missed some live fun, but enjoyed all the same.

    ReplyDelete
  27. An elegant debut :) enjoyed the solving enormously..

    ReplyDelete

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