Day 64 of 68 Stay safe at home
(I am maintaining lockdown till 31 May)
Solution to 4A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
ACROSS
1 Tone down regularly after seconds (6) SOFTEN {S}{OFTEN}
4 Switching sides in a dance before boy gains balance (6)?P?O?B (Addendum APLOMB {A}{P(-r+l)LOM}{B} - See comments)
9 Free diamonds in card game (4) UNDO {UN{D}O}1 Tone down regularly after seconds (6) SOFTEN {S}{OFTEN}
4 Switching sides in a dance before boy gains balance (6)
10 Cops secured criminal caught skipping established rules (3,7) DUE PROCESS {
11 Waiter carrying a royal drink (6) BEARER {BE{A}{R}ER}
12 Had initial debates about holy text caused a stir? (8) AGITATED {A{GITA}TE}{D
15 Bothersome annoyance nagging existence, primarily (4) BANE Acrostic &lit
16 Sort text (4) TYPE [DD]
17 See Grant’s acting prowess (9) GREATNESS*
21 Wealth is, to rich, flaunting something of great value (8) HISTORIC [T]
22 Heading West, VIP entering road to return to safe custody (6) REMAND {R{NAME<=}D}
24 Uncut nude scene or blue movie, eventually released (10) UNCENSORED {NUDE+SCEN
25 Counter next to musical instrument (4) TUBA<=
27 Acquire flexibility to conceal gut reaction (6) REFLEX [T]
DOWN
1 Frank, leaving Church again after misdeed (7) SINCERE {CE}{RE}<=>{SIN}
2 “It’s needed for baking”, perhaps Rose said (5) FLOUR (~flower)
3 Support friend or securely hug (7) ENDORSE [T]
5 Allow what a stylist may do to hair (6) PERMIT {PERM IT}
6 Can I age with no wrinkles another time? (4,5) ONCE AGAIN {CAN+I+AGE+NO}*
7 Is coming up with say, boring spelling test to harass (7) BESIEGE {BE{IS<=}{EG}E}
8 Can we order to do something never done before? (3,1,3,6) SET A NEW RECORD {CAN+WE+ORDER}* [RA]
14 Restless Hypatia is on top of case (9) IMPATIENT {I'M}{PATIENT}
16 How a desperate dieter hopes to remain solvent (7) THINNER [DD]
18 Read big novel to summarize (7) ABRIDGE*
19 Spooner disallowed footwear in play area (7) SANDBOX (~ banned sox to sandbox)
20 Prayer from soldiers is working (6) ORISON {OR}{IS}{ON}
23 Picked up courage to lead, perhaps (5) METAL(~mettle)
Reference List
Seconds = S, Boy = B, Diamonds = D, Caught = C, Royal = R, Journalist = ED, Road = RD, Church = CE, Again = RE, Soldiers = OR
Dr RKE's TalePiece
Vasanth Ram (VR), is the new phenomenon in Kollywood. Having DELIVERED 3 films in a row with a spectacular BOX office RATING in a year, the fans of this director are waiting to see if he can ONCE AGAIN re-create the magic with his new venture, a HISTORICal, based on an ABRIDGEd version of the 4-volume novel, Ponniyin Selvan. Many Chennai film producers BESIEGEd him to ENDORSE the film, as they believe this film can SET A NEW RECORD in collections, but VR has chosen a Malaysian backer to finance the project.
VR has gone through the DUE PROCESS of obtaining the necessary PERMIT for using the Thirumalai Naicker Mahal for the shooting. The IMPATIENT young director, has grown THINNER during the shooting, that often goes on in to the wee hours. He is AGITATED by the numerous hiccups that are BANE in filming this TYPE of a movie. For example, the ASI does not allow him to touch up the peeling plaster on the renowned pillars and so he has to coat them with some FLOUR, to be UNDOne by washing it away after the filming! The saving grace is the hero, playing the role of Vandiyathevan, who is so SINCERE and committed that he even converses with the crew almost by a REFLEX, in classical and not colloquial Tamil.
The GREATNESS of the director is the ability to get his actors to etch the character in the minds of the filmgoer indelibly and those who have seen the UNCENSORED rushes are convinced that VR has done this with great APLOMB. Great acting must of course be combined with stunning visuals and a case in point are the scenes shot on the SANDy shores of Kodiakkarai. The music director has chipped in with an arresting background music that is subtly SOFTENed to let you hear the clang of the METAL of the falling sword in the climax scene. Period films are all about getting the costume right and VR’s wife, already a torch BEARER in designing, is said to have surpassed herself in this film. We wait with bated breath for the release of this magnum opus of Vasanth Ram and do wish he will be able to release it on the big screen instead of on Netflix or Amazon Prime!
Enjoyable puzzle! Loved Uncensored, Sandbox, Greatness among other clues. Thanks Hypatia.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThanks Vasant. Glad to know which clues you liked and that you had fun. Also thanks to KKR garu and Sree Sree.
Delete4Ac APLOMB - {A}{P(-r)LOM}{B}
ReplyDelete4ac Anno correction
Delete{A}{P(-r)(+L)OM}{B}
Struggled but got uncensored and Sandbox among others. Needed a lot of help,but still could not complete. Got the word reserved for non regulars,but not its anno. Trying.
ReplyDeleteDitto
DeleteHope you are able to complete it. Most are gettable and hopefully, this only means you spend some more time during the lockdown in your favourite pursuit,
Deleteaplomb-balance.A dance-prom,B-boy.p r/lom.a(plom)b.
ReplyDeleteLooks like all historic facts in today's interesting Tale Piece.
ReplyDeleteAmazed that so many words have been used.
RKE
ReplyDeleteSuperb narration.
Think up a plot and you can write a novel.
Esp. with this kind of committed writing regimen.
BTW. do you know that Dr Satyen is the author of a published novel?
+1
DeleteThanks sir. I did not know about Dr.Satyen's novel. What is it and is it available on kindle or amazon?
DeleteA bolt of Lightning
DeleteBy Satyen Nabar
AMAZON KINDLE
Hard copy after lockdown
Plus 1 for RKE’s story. For Doc’s fans who were not aware, I would recommend them to read the Colonel’s THC setters page which has this and other interesting facts about him.
DeleteUmmer was AGITATED and IMPATIENT.
ReplyDeleteHis ire took a new High. Pat came his instruction.
The Agent had not DELIVERED and his efforts far from SINCERE. He better go with the henchmen ONCE AGAIN to Chcago to help identify Bibek.
The DUE PROCESS had been completed and he had the PERMIT to launch the nudist colony in an island near Kailasa.
The HISTORIC event now needs to be put on hold.
Ummer's RATING with his bosses will plummet and he will soon be taken to task for lacking the METAL.
What happened next?
š¤£nudist colony!
ReplyDeleteMy COD is 4Ac. Enjoyed the mental exercise.
ReplyDeleteIF Any setter of the THC who doesn't have his profile/write-up featured on the THC Setters page (Link on top of this page) and would like to get his details included, kindly send the same to me with a soft copy of your photograph so that I can add the same on the page.
ReplyDeleteLovely grid ..
ReplyDeleteNew to solving an entire grid.
Could get around 20 of them .
A few just went above my head but fit in the grid thankfully.
Thank God for small mercies.
Yet to complete the grid.
Thank u so much for this š
Please edit your profile to display your name
DeleteThanks Ratna - It is wonderful that you have managed to nearly complete an entire grid though you are new to solving grids, Well done indeed and welcome to the blog. On Fridays and Sundays there are many opportunities for solvers to annotate clues and improve their learning. Do make time if possible to participate in those.
DeleteThanks for updating your profile Ratna. It's good to link a comment to a name rather than to an Unknown :-)
Delete
ReplyDeleteI liked the simplicity of PERM IT.
SET A NEW RECORD or GET A NEW RECORD ? IMPATIENT.most solvers get to be so, as , like me, the wish is to complete the grid. Not using SETTER but HYPATIA is a clever ploy! ABUT counter gives TUBA. Using COUNTER as a reversal indicator needs a lot of nail-chewing. Spooner again! Leave him to RIP !
Great grating grid. Thanks, Sowmyaji.
Some comments are more cryptic than the grids themselves and Rajujji you are quite a master at that :) Do I take this that you found the grid “great” or “grating” :) In any case, your comments are always entertaining and glad to see regulars like you participating actively in the discussions here.
DeleteAadat se majbboor ! My comments are always neutral. I found the grid both great in most part and grating in some. But the fun is more when the grid is both hard and easy. You know, I like challenges and since cryptic crosswords give multifarious openings, I like to pick up the gauntlet. You always give lots of red herrings and can you spare that poor soul Spooner and let him RIP or else he would rip open his coffin and haunt ?
DeleteThanks Sowmyaji for your kind words.
Super enjoyable puzzle, Hypatia. Feeling pleased to have solved all the clues. 4A: APLOMB, 13A: DELIVERED, 23D: METAL were especially nicely turned. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat to know that Amita šš Well done on finishing it all and glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteNo comments on the query at 1D?
ReplyDeleteLeave has been used in the sense of a position indicator - like in “leave something at a person’s doorstep” not as a “deletion” indicator though the idea was to befuddle
Deletethe solver a little bit. So, “Leaving” CE RE after “misdeed” needs to be interpreted as “leaving” CE and RE after SIN
Okay thanks, I see your point now.
DeleteCan somebody tell how the word Spooner helps in solving 19D
ReplyDeleteSpooner is referring to Reverend Spooner and the clue is a spoonerism
DeletePlease edit your profile to display your name
DeletePhonetic exchange of syllables as done frequently by Rev. Spooner.
DeleteSmooth surfaces. Nice grid. 24a my cod.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Delete