Wednesday, 29 January 2020

No 12844, Wednesday 29 Jan 2020, Dr. X


ACROSS
1   Bit dangerous perhaps to become less vigilant (4,4,5)  DROP ONES GUARD {DROP}{DANGEROUS}*
8   Gizmo we refurbished includes device to cut grass (5) MOWER [T]
9   Nervous reaction resulting from insensitive wife breaking heart (4,5) COLD SWEAT {COLD}{S{W}EAT}
11 Contentment after a little sexy dance by model in erotic form of entertainment (10) STRIPTEASE {EASE} after {Sexy}{TRIP}{T}
12 Dismiss fellow with anger (4) FIRE {F}{IRE}
14 Father on stage receives posh collage (5-2) PASTE-UP {PA}{STE{U}P}
16 Weary revolutionary avoiding a precinct in African country (7) ERITREA {TIRE<=}{aREA}
17 Member eating oriental duck and aromatic herb (7) OREGANO {OR{E}GAN}{O}
19 Dreadful boy breaks new camera (7) MACABRE {MACA{B}RE*}
21 Reviewing some sightings of unnatural aerial phenomena (1,1,1,1) UFOS [T<=]
22 They replace European character involved in disputes (5,5) SPARE PARTS {SPAR{E}{PART}S}
25 One avoided disrupting term with on-line registration (9) ENROLMENT {TERM+ON+LiNE}*
26 Become frosty when India gets trophy, overwhelming England (3,2) ICE UP {I}{C{E}UP}
27 Slept with hot lesbian slyly? Tell all (5,3,5) SPILL THE BEANS {SLEPT+H+LESBIAN}*

DOWN
2   Socialists gathering to fight for payments (7) REWARDS {RE{WAR}DS}
3   Unnecessary split with girl after a little exchange breaks mate (10) PERIPHERAL {P{Ex...e}{RIP}{HER}AL}
4   Mother-of-pearl caught in net, not small (5) NACRE {sNA{C}RE}
5   Marketing crew’s enthusiasm after consuming alcoholic beverages (5,4) SALES TEAM {S{ALES}TEAM}
6   Honours astronomers discovering a constellation (4) URSA [T]
7   More gluttonous? Avoid grease primarily to become thinner (7) REEDIER gREEDIER
8   Manufacture large quantities of fancy upper-class cars and mopeds (4-7) MASS-PRODUCE {U+CARS+MOPEDS}*
10 All is revealed as a result of beating? (3,4,2,2) THE GAME IS UP [DD]
13 Correct to criticize film’s revolting sequence (10) DISCIPLINE {DIS}{PIC<=}{LINE}
15 Troublesome person about to cavort with model is most eager (9) PROMPTEST {P{ROMP}{T}EST}
18 English leave and stumble in act of self-aggrandizement (3,4) EGO TRIP {E}{GO}{TRIP}
20 Bit of bacon, egg and mushroom (7) BURGEON {Ba..n}{URGE ON}
23 Not right to stop working! Join again (5) RETIE RETIrE
24 Start to enjoy brief peace in twelfth month of Jewish calendar (4) ELUL {En..y}{LULl}

Reference List
Wife = W, Model = T, Fellow = F, Posh = U, Oriental = E, Boy = B, European = E, India = I, England = E, Hot = H, Caught = C, Small = S, Upper-class = U, Criticize = DIS, English = E, Right = R


31 comments:

  1. With STRIPTEASE and the raunchy clue of 27A, there was every chance to DROP ONE'S GUARD, may be, even break into a COLD SWEAT. A strict DISCIPLINE was needed to not get distracted by the PERIPHERALs and keep the focus on unravelling the MACABRE wordplay of Dr.X. Left us wondering which SALES TEAM is responsible for supplying SPARE PARTS to UFOS. Any REWARDS for the one who is PROMPTEST to finish the puzzle? May be a holiday in ERITREA in the month of ELUL or some nice NACRE jewellery? No? Then how about at least a dinner at OREGANO soul food restaurant?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really superb with quite a few of solution words. Great going. Thank you.

      Delete
  2. 1A BIT = DROP, DROPDANGEROUS*

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  3. 21a ufos aren't just "aerial phenomenon". Semi &?
    I think just "Reviewing some sightings of unnatural" would have sufficed, as &lit.

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  4. I think it is just a reverse T as Col. has indicated with 'Aerial phenomena' as def.

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  5. Today the Cw solver site came up with most of the clues with solutions even before 8.30. So they don't seem to be lifting them from our blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sir,What is Cw solver site ?

      Delete
    2. https://www.wordplays.com/crossword-solver

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    3. About which we had a few Comments some days ago.
      On which I wrote a post in FB:1ACross a few days ago.

      Delete
  6. Lovely puzzle. succinct ! Thank you Doctor saar.

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  7. Easier than yesterday.
    Spent more time on spare tyres, groping in the dark for anno!!! Got "discipline"d much later.
    Thanks Doc!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, sorry it was tougher yesterday. Not intentional. Thanks KKR.

      Delete
    2. +. Thanks Doc. Tougher , the better, so why apologise ? Today's grid is more in line with the usual THC , except AFTERDARK. Some get tough, some easy. Adds OREGANO to the dish. Ad's à& ds are unique. ERROR MESSAGE is something that keeps reminding one that computers are not infallible.BOLOGNESE is my favourite,even as a dish on which I survived my bachelor days in Nairobi. BLOOMERS : Pardon your slip is showing !

      Delete
  8. "...spent more time on spare tyres..."

    On whose, dear masseur?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spare tyres aren't great as love handles ? CORPUS DELICIOUSTI ?

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    2. Ha ha, I like that CV Sir!
      But I am afraid there is no plural usage for your intended meaning!

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    3. 'Spare tyre' in the sense that I am using, is a countable noun.
      https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/spare-tyre

      Delete
    4. Thanks Sir.
      Chambers Dictionary gives Spare tyres but when it comes to its Thesaurus, it confines it to Spare tyre only and all the meanings relate to obesity etc.
      This is the reason to my view. Maybe I am wrong in interpretation.

      Delete
    5. One persons has one spare tyre. So sparetyres would mean multiple persons!!! as the countable nouns work.

      Delete
  9. Loved the puzzle. Some wonderful surfaces, some naughty ones. Thanks Dr. X for the entertainment.

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  10. Thanks Doc, for giving the girl a boy !

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  11. Excellent puzzle! Didn't get 20D: BURGEON and kicked myself when I saw the answer.

    ReplyDelete

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