Solution to 18A 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 Lady friend whisked to a marina (9) INAMORATA*
6 Warm club closing early on fourth of July (4) COSY {COSh}{julY}
8 Foolishly tackle a bishop in Darjeeling, perhaps (5,3) BLACK TEA {TACKLE+A+B}*
9 Propositions he’s set on dismantling (6) THESES*
10 Woods, farm closed off by imminent danger (5,2,8) SWORD OF DAMOCLES*
11 Poetry’s not as good when read aloud (5) VERSE (~worse)
13 Idea professor’s aide snuck into writing system (8) NOTATION {NO{TA}TION}
15 Cadet misbehaved! (5,3) ACTED OUT {CADET}* [RA]
18 Plumb vertically (5)?H?E? (Addendum - SHEER [DD] - See comments)
20 Mischievous person, liar, smuggled fentanyl; ultimately, it ended up at gallows (15) FLIBBERTIGIBBET {F{f...yL}IBBER}{IT<=}{GIBBET}
23 Bones, antlers left out carelessly (6) STERNA {ANTlERS}*
24 Doing a volte-face on issue? Never mind (2,6) NO MATTER {ON<=}{MATTER}
25 Dynamism amidst lugubriousness (4) BRIO [T]
26 Captivated with heated CNN ruckus (9) ENCHANTED*
1 Lady friend whisked to a marina (9) INAMORATA*
6 Warm club closing early on fourth of July (4) COSY {COS
8 Foolishly tackle a bishop in Darjeeling, perhaps (5,3) BLACK TEA {TACKLE+A+B}*
10 Woods, farm closed off by imminent danger (5,2,8) SWORD OF DAMOCLES*
11 Poetry’s not as good when read aloud (5) VERSE (~worse)
13 Idea professor’s aide snuck into writing system (8) NOTATION {NO{TA}TION}
15 Cadet misbehaved! (5,3) ACTED OUT {CADET}* [RA]
18 Plumb vertically (5)
20 Mischievous person, liar, smuggled fentanyl; ultimately, it ended up at gallows (15) FLIBBERTIGIBBET {F{
23 Bones, antlers left out carelessly (6) STERNA {ANT
24 Doing a volte-face on issue? Never mind (2,6) NO MATTER {ON<=}{MATTER}
25 Dynamism amidst lugubriousness (4) BRIO [T]
26 Captivated with heated CNN ruckus (9) ENCHANTED*
DOWN
1 Heartily find flaws in relative (2-3) IN-LAW {fINd+fLAWs}
2 Grants contracts (7) ACCORDS [DD]
3 Transcend alfresco party (5) OUTDO {OUT}{DO}
4 Recklessness with live music? (7) ABANDON {A BAND ON}
5 Matt’s pet, Goofy, has a go (8) ATTEMPTS*
6 Team laid off in shock transformation strategy (4,3) CREW CUT {CREW}{CUT}
7 Dock worker’s severed toe almost fixed (9) STEVEDORE {SEVERED+TOe}*
12 You might get a rise out of it! (9) ESCALATOR [CD]
14 She sort of left homesteader convulsing in chair (8) MODERATE {hOMesTEADER}*
16 Obstruction business scholar passed through consequently (7) EMBARGO {E{MBA}RGO}
17 Huge mongrel in attic (7) TITANIC*
19 Slightly overwhelmed by bowler, perhaps in home turf (7) HABITAT {H{A BIT}AT}
21 Magma formation that’s found just before delta (5) GAMMA*
22 Deplorable men do somewhat improve (5) EMEND [T]
1 Heartily find flaws in relative (2-3) IN-LAW {
2 Grants contracts (7) ACCORDS [DD]
3 Transcend alfresco party (5) OUTDO {OUT}{DO}
4 Recklessness with live music? (7) ABANDON {A BAND ON}
5 Matt’s pet, Goofy, has a go (8) ATTEMPTS*
6 Team laid off in shock transformation strategy (4,3) CREW CUT {CREW}{CUT}
7 Dock worker’s severed toe almost fixed (9) STEVEDORE {SEVERED+TO
12 You might get a rise out of it! (9) ESCALATOR [CD]
14 She sort of left homesteader convulsing in chair (8) MODERATE {
16 Obstruction business scholar passed through consequently (7) EMBARGO {E{MBA}RGO}
17 Huge mongrel in attic (7) TITANIC*
19 Slightly overwhelmed by bowler, perhaps in home turf (7) HABITAT {H{A BIT}AT}
21 Magma formation that’s found just before delta (5) GAMMA*
22 Deplorable men do somewhat improve (5) EMEND [T]
Reference List
Bishop = B, Left = L
Thank you Skulldugger for an enjoyable work out to start the day. Several good clues- particularly enjoyed the sword in 10A as well as the mischievous clue!
ReplyDelete+1.
DeleteDelightful crossword!
Please see my late Comment yesterday on Ram comparing THC with UK crosswords such as The Guardian's. Do you agree with my view that the two are distinct forms of the crossword in the English language and must be appreciated and hailed individually and separately. The first should not be compared with the second and it will always miss a certain flavour of the UK puzzle. Comments invited.
ReplyDeleteAgreed they may not be comparable. But one cannot deny the fact that Indian CW's,particularly TH have their own distinct flavour,shall we say the Oriental flavour? It is not correct to say that we lack the class- with all due respect to English setters.
DeleteI am aware that Vulcan contributing here is much older than his namesake in the Guardian. Both of them have one thing in common, their grids are very entertaining.
DeleteThanks for confirming. If there had been a Vulcan already as a Guardian setter, I or TH may have gently suggested to the incoming setter to choose a distinct pseudonym. The Guardian would not have looked beyond the British nose.
DeleteI find the Saturday crossword of "Deccan Herald" quite challenging and a flavour of its own.
DeleteGood as THC's setters are, I do find the major British newspapers have a better calibre of setters. This is only to be expected. The Hindu is kind enough to employ novices, who sometimes cut their teeth on this blog with a few practice puzzles. When I began setting for THC (thanks to Rishi Sir), I had only constructed 3 or 4 puzzles in my life and had never had a xwd published before. i had to construct a fair few puzzles for THC and get a lot of constructive criticism from THCC readers before my puzzles approached a reasonably acceptable standard. Not every newspaper will give a newbie such an apprenticeship. And I'm still very much a journeyman setter rather than a master. I think The Guardian and other top-shelf British papers only hire setters at the top of their game. They're more in command of their craft, often having been at it longer, which translates to a higher quality of puzzle.
DeleteThat said, I do take exception to the idea that "The UK crossword is a class apart rooted as it is in British milieu and culture." There's nothing about the Indian milieu or culture that makes it incapable of producing crosswords of the first water. Puts me in mind of the idea of cultural cringe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_cringe
One might argue that the British will always have a home-field advantage as they're playing a game they invented in their home-turf (native tongue). But a brief look at cricket history puts paid to the notion. Perhaps that's not the right comparison? Take the English novel, then, which has more of a resemblance to the crossword, in that its success too depends on a facility with language. Indian literature has produced and continues to produce excellent novels that give the best British fiction a run for its money. Not for nothing did Rushdie win the Booker of Bookers. But where the Indian-novel-in-English has come into its own, I think the Indian-xwd-in-English might have a ways to go before it reaches that point.
Well said!
DeleteImpartially analysed and to the point.
DeleteIn England solving Crosswords is a national past time! Every newspaper has atleast two crosswords daily.Not only newspapers but even magazines carry crosswords(Spectator/Private Eye).
DeleteYou have prize crosswords too and the typical prizes are Very good dictionaries, book of phrases and quotes, etc.
Famous people do crosswords and write about them and discuss. (P. G. Wodehouse for one who used to write letters to editors).
But the scene in India is now changing. With the internet boom and a host of setters, Indian Crossword scene is looking very promising. Our setters are consistently doing well in International clue writing competitions. IXL also has seen participants from across the globe.
Thanks jaggu. I will look it up. Some years ago DH Sun edn used to have a crossword by a certaim Rao.
DeleteThough we understan Dr.RKE's predicament,fact remains we still badly miss his Tale Piece. Somehow the CW is not complete without it.
ReplyDeleteHe might have stringent schedule. eagerly waiting!!!!
Delete19D. I can't understand the anno. How's hat derived?
ReplyDeleteI may know bowler as a cricket player who throws ball from one end of a cricket pitch to another player at the far end. I can't ask how bowler is hat. I must look up bowler in a dict. I should not question someone who knows it and who has indicated it. I must resort to a dict.
Delete18A. Sheer. Plumb and vertical both mean the same thing. It's called a DD I guess.
ReplyDeleteGood guess!
Delete19a. Slightly is bit. Bowler is hat. Ones home turf is habitat
ReplyDeleteSorry it was 19a.
ReplyDelete19D- Bowler leads to hat- Bowler is a type of hat.
ReplyDeleteCan some explain 3 down clue?
ReplyDeleteTranscend means surpass: OUTDO
DeleteAlfresco is external explaining OUT
Party is DO
3 Transcend alfresco party (5) OUTDO {OUT}{DO}
DeleteIf the above cannot be interpreted as AJ has done and if one is not interested in looking up a dictionary, then what's the point of giving these annotations?
Plumb vertically _ SHEER (DD) means Perpendicular
ReplyDeleteSuper
ReplyDeleteExcellent puzzle today with smooth surfaces. Thank you, Skulldugger.
ReplyDeleteVery nice and enjoyable puzzle. I look at the reference list daily posted on this blog nowadays. Cryptic Crossword abbreviations can make a grid tough for the solver if he / she is not a regular. In this grid only two were used. L for left is not that big a deal and probably B for Bishop too. This makes it a very fair grid even for a non-regular.
ReplyDeleteNice and enjoyable puzzle with some challenging clues. Great explanation on the styles of crossword setting. Excellent read.
ReplyDeleteCrew cut nice clue was clued "as a crop" in the tough IXL grid recently. Brought a smile with self hair cuts of covid times....
ReplyDeleteCould someone please tell me what does [T] and [DD] mean here? I'm fairly new to crossword.
ReplyDeleteLook at the meanings shown under 'Annotations' in the panel on the Left hand side
DeleteThank you so much. It doesn't show up when you use the phone. But I see it when I use the laptop. Thank you so much
ReplyDelete