Solution to 24A 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.
Reference List
Answer = A, Small = S, Line = L, Non-drinker = TT, Partner = N, English = E, Detective Inspector = DI, Left = L
ACROSS
1 Dismiss people drafted for sporting event (4,4) SACK RACE {SACK}{RACE}
5 A section of veterans we requisitioned (6) ANSWER [T]
9 Blemish attached to each escape (7) SCARPER {SCAR}{PER}
10 Bad rule maybe but designed to last (7) DURABLE*
11 Go trawling with small Spanish instruments (9) CASTANETS {CAST A NET}{S}
12 Nothing tear-jerking in talk (5) ORATE {0}{TEAR*}
13 Expert back in casino city (4) RENO<=
14 The spies with a bit of petulance throw fragmented rocks (9) PSEPHITES {THE+SPIES+Pe...e}*
17 Protected the elders at sixes and sevens (9)SHELTERED*
19 Sudden increase, with head of seraglio away, in desire (4) URGEsURGE
23 Fantastic — one after one, we have many spokes (5) RADII {RAD}{1}{1}
24 Man pushed son out, swore and struck (9)P?R?U?S?D (Addendum - PERCUSSED - {PERson}{CUSSED} - See comments)
25 Major player in military camp (7) LEAGUER [DD]
26 Somehow input a line relating to the wedding (7) NUPTIAL {INPUT+A+L}*
27 Laugh quietly as non-drinker’s caught in row (6) TITTER {TI{TT}ER}
28 City lines redrawn in Hong Kong by one (8) HELSINKI {H{LINES*}K}{1}
DOWN
1 It is used to open or close a window (4,4) SASH CORD [GK]
2 Song produced by partner’s child after tea (7) CHANSON {N}{SON} after {CHA}
3 Ring again to cancel (6) REPEAL {RE-PEAL}
4 Cleaner scolds one crying (6,7) CARPET SWEEPER {CARPETS}{WEEPER}
6 No Arctic product is a drug (8) NARCOTIC*
7 Where online we first booked servant (3,4) WEB PAGE {WE}{Bo...d}{PAGE} Semi&lit
8 Mention possessing English jacket (6) REEFER {RE{E}FER}
10 Fading away of detective inspectors’ front (13) DISAPPEARANCE {DI'S}{APPEARANCE}
15 Height of skill throws political leader out to install Left (8) ALTITUDE A(-p+l)LTITUDE
16 When idle, relax! Capital! (3,5) NEW DELHI*
18 Novel character’s short complaint gets a main outlet (7) HYDRANT {HYDe}{RANT}
20 Ran to get back issue — no English language! (7) RUSSIAN {R{ISSUe<=}AN}
21 Band member’s permission (6) ARMLET {ARM}{LET}
22 Strange tailless cat makes a racket (6) RUMPUS {RUM}{PUSs}
1 Dismiss people drafted for sporting event (4,4) SACK RACE {SACK}{RACE}
9 Blemish attached to each escape (7) SCARPER {SCAR}{PER}
10 Bad rule maybe but designed to last (7) DURABLE*
11 Go trawling with small Spanish instruments (9) CASTANETS {CAST A NET}{S}
13 Expert back in casino city (4) RENO<=
14 The spies with a bit of petulance throw fragmented rocks (9) PSEPHITES {THE+SPIES+P
17 Protected the elders at sixes and sevens (9)SHELTERED*
19 Sudden increase, with head of seraglio away, in desire (4) URGE
23 Fantastic — one after one, we have many spokes (5) RADII {RAD}{1}{1}
24 Man pushed son out, swore and struck (9)
25 Major player in military camp (7) LEAGUER [DD]
26 Somehow input a line relating to the wedding (7) NUPTIAL {INPUT+A+L}*
27 Laugh quietly as non-drinker’s caught in row (6) TITTER {TI{TT}ER}
28 City lines redrawn in Hong Kong by one (8) HELSINKI {H{LINES*}K}{1}
DOWN
1 It is used to open or close a window (4,4) SASH CORD [GK]
3 Ring again to cancel (6) REPEAL {RE-PEAL}
4 Cleaner scolds one crying (6,7) CARPET SWEEPER {CARPETS}{WEEPER}
6 No Arctic product is a drug (8) NARCOTIC*
7 Where online we first booked servant (3,4) WEB PAGE {WE}{B
8 Mention possessing English jacket (6) REEFER {RE{E}FER}
10 Fading away of detective inspectors’ front (13) DISAPPEARANCE {DI'S}{APPEARANCE}
15 Height of skill throws political leader out to install Left (8) ALTITUDE A(-p+l)LTITUDE
16 When idle, relax! Capital! (3,5) NEW DELHI*
18 Novel character’s short complaint gets a main outlet (7) HYDRANT {HYD
20 Ran to get back issue — no English language! (7) RUSSIAN {R{ISSU
21 Band member’s permission (6) ARMLET {ARM}{LET}
22 Strange tailless cat makes a racket (6) RUMPUS {RUM}{PUS
Answer = A, Small = S, Line = L, Non-drinker = TT, Partner = N, English = E, Detective Inspector = DI, Left = L
Dr RKE's TalePiece
We lived in the 60’s in an old bungalow located on one of the RADII of Connaught Place, NEW DELHI. This was the Government quarters for the officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The house had a typical colonial look with a SHELTERED allee leading up to the front steps, windows with SASH CORDS and even a DURABLE pre-war CARPET SWEEPER. Our father was away at HELSINKI on an extended diplomatic mission and our mother had gone to Madurai to visit her ailing mother. So my brother and I had a run of the place and could get away with any RUMPUS.
One day we had the URGE to see how the fire HYDRANT in front of the house worked. We fiddled around with a small wheel-like control, but not having been used for ages, it was rusty. My brother, being a football LEAGUER, was much stronger than me. He covered it with his REEFER jacket and PERCUSSED it with a hammer so Parkash Bhaiyya, our aged live-in servant could not hear the noise. He hit it with all his might and it suddenly sprang to life, sending forth a gush of water, right through the open window, flooding the house. We tried our best to shut it off but the damned thing would not budge. We SCARPERed from the scene before Parkash could find us. Hiding behind a tree in the garden, we TITTERed, as we watched him wrestle with the control. He soon caught us and said “you have ruined the RUSSIAN carpet in the drawing room. I would have to throw it away. You both will have a lot to ANSWER for its DISAPPEARANCE when memsahib comes back tomorrow”. Dear old Parkash Bhaiyya, this was the harshest thing he could tell us, his chhota sahebs. We knew he would not squeal on us but to mollify him, we entreated him to sing one of his Rajasthani folk songs. This would usually bring him to his elements. He brought out his CASTANETS and to its rhythm he sang a rustic song about a bride, wearing a jingling ARMLET on her NUPTIAL night, that made enough noise to wake up the village!
So it was to my pleasant surprise, that when idly browsing through the Internet 50 years later, I stumbled upon a WEBPAGE that listed this folk song. I clicked on the link below to listen to the song. I must say our Parkash’s version was far more earthy.
One day we had the URGE to see how the fire HYDRANT in front of the house worked. We fiddled around with a small wheel-like control, but not having been used for ages, it was rusty. My brother, being a football LEAGUER, was much stronger than me. He covered it with his REEFER jacket and PERCUSSED it with a hammer so Parkash Bhaiyya, our aged live-in servant could not hear the noise. He hit it with all his might and it suddenly sprang to life, sending forth a gush of water, right through the open window, flooding the house. We tried our best to shut it off but the damned thing would not budge. We SCARPERed from the scene before Parkash could find us. Hiding behind a tree in the garden, we TITTERed, as we watched him wrestle with the control. He soon caught us and said “you have ruined the RUSSIAN carpet in the drawing room. I would have to throw it away. You both will have a lot to ANSWER for its DISAPPEARANCE when memsahib comes back tomorrow”. Dear old Parkash Bhaiyya, this was the harshest thing he could tell us, his chhota sahebs. We knew he would not squeal on us but to mollify him, we entreated him to sing one of his Rajasthani folk songs. This would usually bring him to his elements. He brought out his CASTANETS and to its rhythm he sang a rustic song about a bride, wearing a jingling ARMLET on her NUPTIAL night, that made enough noise to wake up the village!
So it was to my pleasant surprise, that when idly browsing through the Internet 50 years later, I stumbled upon a WEBPAGE that listed this folk song. I clicked on the link below to listen to the song. I must say our Parkash’s version was far more earthy.
Person minus son = Per
ReplyDeleteSwore = Cussed
Percussed is struck
Good solve.
ReplyDelete3D- Entered recall instead of repeal and got stuck.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteNeeded help to solve the anagram in 14 after getting all the letters. Felt bad.
ReplyDeleteI had to cross check with the dictionary
DeleteInteresting escapade of a younger and more adventurous RKE?! Or it could be pure fiction. Nicely written- as usual.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Echoing my thoughts
DeleteThanks. Based on an incident with a fire extinguisher in school. Rest purely imaginary
Delete17A- 'Sixes and sevens' is a new and interesting anagrind.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete1 D
ReplyDeleteIt = SA (sex appeal)
Used = SH (second hand)
To open....etc = To cord ?
Just doing a Sree Sree 🥴
To open = To cord? From where did you get that?
DeleteI see the point you are making but that was not my intention.
DeleteSree Sree will be able to provide some substitution 🙂
DeleteCol, Instead of saying I permitted myself a non-cryptic clue, he, having seen the cryptic possibilities of. SA + SH, both of which I often use,he is asking how to account for CORD. And he also pulls the leg of sree_sree who often justifies clues by giving impossible explanations that often leave us bemused.
Delete3D Will not the wordplay result in PEALRE ?
ReplyDeleteTest again = Retest !! Similarly
DeleteWhat are you doing so early in the morning Ajeesh?
DeleteTrying to get sleep 🙃
DeleteSo Cryptic Crosswords take you to the land of nod?
DeleteNo, it is Gridman's crosswords that send him to sleep, while those of some three or four setters keep him wide awake and perked up.
DeleteSetter from Madras primarily interrupts good nidra (7)
DeleteJust kidding.
It seems that in recent times the present Everyman crossword setter includes in every puzzle of his or hers a clue that has 'primarily' (not any other letter pick ind) for initial letter selection.
DeleteSoon the Col while putting up The Sunday crossword should be able to confirm this.
Ajeesh have you missed out on the Anind or am I missing something?
DeleteA fix could be:
DeleteSetter from Madras primarily interrupts good nidra by fits and starts(7)
Sorry I missed anagrind
DeleteAnd about primarily - I think Afterdark used it in 3 clues in his last 2 puzzles
Dr X also loves it of late !
Grand entertainment, CV Sir!
ReplyDeleteAND made Gridman grin in his sleeves? Bear it!
ReplyDeleteAs much as solvers get a smug satisfaction for having cracked a clue, compilers get a sadistic satisfaction for having won a challenge. Every unsolved clue is his grim resolve to make it more tough the next time. What say you, Gridman ?
Lots of interesting comments today.
ReplyDeleteAjeesh- sleeping/ early morning? What time zone?! ,,,,,,
Us East Coast Time zone
DeleteMy God! Middle of the hight. I didn't know that he had gone to U.S.
DeleteHe has! And Rainmon Kiddo etc. are forever on a limbo.. We wish he comments often and sets more often!
DeleteI usually sleep at 2-3 AM .. So 1AM was very early for me, actually 😎
DeleteSack race brought old memories of school days. Haven't heard about it since then.
ReplyDeleteDon't think Gridman or any other setter titters. A setter wants his/her puzzle to be solved. He throws up a challenge..a fair challenge.. Where the solvers has got a fair chance to solve the puzzle. This is it. Nothing more, nothing less.
ReplyDelete