Solution to 20D 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 Winning side takes time off (8) WRESTING {W}{RESTING} (Correction - {W{REST}ING} - See comments)
5 Son, worried and frightened (6) SCARED {S}{CARED}
10 Attack with knights, pinning rook back (5) KNOCK {K{CON<=}K}
11 Religious person about to criticise analyst (9) THERAPIST {THE{RAP}IST}
12 Narrow escape with new system preventing shock (4,5) NEAR THING {N}{EARTHING}
13 Groom in stress after removing top (5) TRAIN sTRAIN
14 Learn about tackling essentially complicated type of equation (6) LINEAR {L{c...lIc...d}NEAR*}
15 Accumulate runs quickly to secure victory on time (7) HARVEST {HAR{V}ES}{T}
18 Spirit shown by woman in trouble (7) BANSHEE {BAN{SHE}E}
20 Summon a coalition to control European country (6) MONACO [T]
24 Heedless drunk scratching bottom in open (9) OBLIVIOUS {OB{LIt}VIOUS}
25 Doctor’s glorious, operating on ureters essentiallyd (9) UROLOGIST {GLORIOUS*}{ureTers} Semi&lit
26 Engineers checking old-fashioned circuit (5) ROUTE {R{OUT}E}
27 Charge a Republican involved in dispute (6) TARIFF {T{A}{R}IFF}
28 About the French kiss — it’s sloppy (8) CARELESS {CARE{LE}SS}
DOWN
1 Comedian entertaining family is stimulating (6) WAKING {WA{KIN}G}
2 Calling Veronica to slyly abandon Reggie at entrance (9) EVOCATION {VErONICA+TO}*
3 What Test opening batsmen aim to do to overshadow? (4,3,5,3) TAKE THE SHINE OFF [C&DD]
4 Crazier nationalist starting to instigate in state (7) NUTTIER {N}{UTT{In...e}ER}
6 Fellow gets snappy about including extremely detailed exact reference (7,3,5) CHAPTER AND VERSE {CHAP}{TER{AND}{VERy}SE}
7 Side dish at fair, served without topping of fruits (5) RAITA {AT+fAIR}*
8 Blow up in meeting over revolting remark (8) DETONATE {D{NOTE<=}ATE}
9 Section of the lung’s damaged — avoid snuff essentially (6) LENGTH {THE+LuNG}*
16 Guard keeps goon mostly in cage (9) ENCLOSURE {ENCLOS{cUR}E} (Addendum - {EN(CLOd)SURE} - See comments)
17 Old boy on cocaine in swank bar (8) OBSTRUCT {OB}{STRU{C}T}
19 Sensational to mention about eating beef in retrospect (6) EXOTIC {CIT{OX}E}<=
20 Civilian army bombed central barricade in revolutionary mission (7) M?L?T?A (Addendum - MILITIA {MI{LIT}{b..rIc..e}A<=} - See comments)
21 Drug addicts consuming heroin are escorts (6) USHERS {US{H}ERS}
23 Love affair in morning time when husband’s away (5) AMOUR {AM}{hOUR}
Reference List
Son = S, Knight = K, New = N, Victory = V, Time = T, Engineers = RE, Republican = R, The in French = LE, Nationalist = N, Old boy = OB, Cocaine = C, Heroin = H, Husband = H
{W(REST)ING}
ReplyDeleteVery interesting puzzle as always. My favourites are 22a, 25a, 3d and 6d. Thanks for making my morning interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome AJ 😀
DeleteI took 16d as
ReplyDeleteEN{CLO(-d)}SURE
Ensure=guard
Clod=goon
+ 1 ..also enclose and enclosure share same roots
DeleteThat is correct. Thanks.
DeleteEntertaining puzzle doctor
ReplyDeleteThanks Ajeesh 👍
Delete20d MILITIA ...MI(LIT)b...(I)..e A
ReplyDeleteMission ....AIM in reverse bombedis LIT
I is centre of barricade
Yes, that is correct Orthopaul👍. (Bombed= Lit as in drunk)
DeleteWhat better thing to do on a rainy morning than solving the mysteries of Dr.X?!
ReplyDeleteThank you Doc. for an engrossing start for the day/
Enjoy your rainy day, Paddy!
DeleteYes,Doc. Rain here is still in the enjoying stage,not the worrying type.
DeleteWow ..nice light rain here also today. I immediately made a black tea and went to the balcony to enjoy the rain
DeleteEnjoyed 10A the best. Made it look like a chess puzzle.
ReplyDeleteA most plausible chess situation,but when you break it down there are no chess elements in it.
I always like simple and elegant ones, like today's 9 & 23 Dn. Thanks Doctor.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Mr Rao.
Delete24A- Had a good laugh at Doc.'s way of getting LI from LIT- Drunk scratching the bottom'!!
ReplyDelete19 Sensational to mention about eating beef in retrospect (6) EXOTIC {CIT{OX}E}<=
ReplyDeleteI had a doubt how ox can get beef. I looked up.
(Newbies, this is what I expect of you. If you have doubt, first look up the word{s} in dictionaries before asking 'how is ox = beef?')
I have just learnt
ox - animal
beef -cattle raised specially for their beef
Thus my problem was resolved.
Did anyone else have similar experience?
Re 5a
ReplyDeleteCan 'cared' (past tense of "care" be used to mean 'had worries, concerns, etc.' I thouht of example sentences.
He cared for his mother very much after father passed away. Means he gave her protection and help.
I decided that 'cared' can be used in the sense of worried in a negative sentence.
He never cared for the big ugly spots on his face..
So cared = worried seems ok.
This makes a lot of sense. I could not comprehend cared for worried before.
Delete15a: Runs quickly means a HARE (singular). What is the clue for getting S.
Hi! Hare (verb) means to run quickly. Hence Hares = Runs quickly
DeleteHi CV Sir, one of the meaning of Care as verb is 'to be anxious' or 'to be concerned'. As in 'He cared/worried about the damage to the environment'
DeleteWorried also means scared. Son misled me.
DeleteIn the most obvious sense care for could be worry about. But without object , it can be worry though a slight stretch
DeleteIn the most obvious sense care for could be worry about. But without object , it can be worry though a slight stretch
DeleteI don't care. I don't worry.
DeleteDr X , thank you.You were considerate to dumbheads today.Thomphil
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMr Thomphil, I don't think anyone who attempts and cracks cryptic clues could ever be a dumbhead!
DeleteDoc, is K for Knight ok? In chess , it is either N or Kt.
ReplyDelete01 K, N 02 AK, Kt in Chambers
DeleteYes SSv it is. See Chambers Dictionary (BRB). The knight= K is not from chess notation but from Knight of the British empire.
DeleteExactly what I said earlier- the situation described (pinning rook back) makes us think only about chess,but there is nothing about chess in the cryptic part. That is beauty of the clue. The knights are not from chess.
DeleteIf K for Knight is from KBE (Knight of the British Empire), then why do some solvers raise objection if I (or any other setter) uses a letter from a similar multi-letter abbr, for any single letter among them?
DeleteHi CV Sir. Chambers Dictionary unfortunately does not include the etymology for abbreviations (at least not in every case). Under the heading K, it clearly mentions the following--
DeleteKing (as in cards and chess) but does not specify anything when Knight is listed.
What I meant by my statement is that the Knight referred to is not the chess Knight but the British empire Knight. I do not know if it is derived from KBE or it Knight= K stands by itself. Still, this much is sure, several Dictionaries have Knight= K.
Nice. Just wondering...
ReplyDeleteAfter the "near thing"
And the way you clue
Dr Are you engineer too?
Word play arithmetic anazing
Amazing (not anazing...
Delete😀🙏
Delete