Solution to 10A 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
9 Tiny bits of mallige idli I consumed in character (9) MINIATURE {Ma...e}{Idli}{N{I}ATURE}
10 Half-dead retired leaders used trickery to manipulate (5) G?M?D (Addendum - GAMED DEMAGogues<= - See comments)
13 As of now, led by evil (5) SINCE {CE}<=>{SIN}
14 Headless dream-thing, perhaps? (9) NIGHTMARE {dREAM+THING}* &lit
16 Euphemisms good man had, for revolting rag amidst boxers, briefs, and vests (15) UNDERSTATEMENTS {UNDER(-gar+st+ate)STATEMENTS}
19 Be lost quietly in Paradise Lost (9) DISAPPEAR {DISA{P}PEAR*}
22 Wordplay with only the first half of word backfires; admit it! (3,2) OWN UP {PUN}{WOrd}<=
24 Prophet from the east embraces backward man, gives a new identity (7) RENAMES {RE{MAN<=}ES<=}
28 Defending, but not before begrudging (9) RESENTING REpreSENTING
DOWN
1 Graphic reactions and a drink making an appearance during monthly loan payments (6) EMOJIS {EM{OJ}IS}
2 Closed wild nude gathering? Nothing doing! (8) UNOPENED {U{NOPE}NED*}
3 Old car part, later redesigned to limit wastage, essentially (10) RATTLETRAP {PART+LATER}* over {wasTage}
4 Move quickly to get away from awful U.N. tour (6) OUTRUN*
5 Slender enclosure for small portable lamp (8) PENLIGHT {PEN}{LIGHT} (Addendum - (-s+pen)PENLIGHT - See comments)
6 “Galileo of Galilei, Astronomer” starts getting reviewed with anticipation (4) AGOG Acrostic<=
7 Gussalufz’s friend, a ruminant (6) IMPALA {I'M}{PAL}{A}
15 Instrument platform’s bottom aboard rickety boat leaked water (10) TAMBOURINE {TA{p...rM}BO*}{URINE}
17 Bank’s endeavour: keeping a user in confusion (8) TREASURY {TR{A+USER}*Y}
18 High on riding, having a balloon with no supporting framework (3-5) NON-RIGID*
20 A movement as sound as that gets regularly covered (6) SONATA {aS+sOuNd+As+ThAt}
21 A kind of oppression on the rise in Gurgram (sic) area (6) RACISM [T<=]
23 Assurance offered by principled general (6) PLEDGE [T]
25 Perhaps Callisto’s immature; most would understand taking only seconds (4) MOON {iMm...e}{mOst}{wOuld}{uNd...g}
Reference List
Now = CE, Good man = ST, Quietly = P, Before = PRE, Drink = OJ(Orange Juice), Small = S
Col.,
ReplyDeleteYou have given 10A away in the filled grid. You could have left it blank there also.
True. But it is not easy to annotate
Delete5D- small is part of the def.?
ReplyDeleteNo
Delete+pen -s(light)
DeleteSlender?
DeleteGussalufz standard is slightly high,very fair though. I am glad I was able to get more than my normal quota,particularly the long ones.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the top line of Nina- Europaio.
ReplyDeleteSorry,got it. Europa & Io are the moons of Jupiter. My bad.
ReplyDeleteLoved the puzzle, the theme and the Nina.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gussalufz.
10ac GAMED..MAG(ic) in reverse..trickery
ReplyDeleteHalf dead..ED
Great solve!
ReplyDeleteNope
DeleteAs I said, it is not easy to solve!
Delete19A typo. {DISA{P}PEAR*}
ReplyDeleteThanks corrected
DeleteI erred in solving the 5-D clue 'Slender enclosure for small portable lamp as PENTORCH and thereby failed to solve both 12 and 14 Across!!!!
ReplyDelete10A open for anyone to solve
ReplyDelete10A GAMED
DeleteDEMAG(-ogues)<--
leaders= demagogues
half-dead= delete half
retired= reversal
used trickery to manipulate= defn.
Very clear Doc.Thank you.
DeleteWOW...absolutely brilliant. Stunning clarity. Salute you sir
DeleteGreat solve 10A! Couldn't get it and 8D too.
ReplyDeleteGood puzzle Viresh
Thanks for the blog, comments, and feedback, folks!
ReplyDeleteFor 12a the blogged anno might have a typo. Here's what I have in my notes:
12 A nap wasted after tossing and turning in long pajamas—they hinder movement (7) [LOGJAMS] Def: they hinder movement. ANAP* {... after tossing and turning} deleted from {... wasted ... in ...} LO(-n)G (-pa)JAM(-a)S.
For composite anagrams, I prefer to think of them as and anno them as "two halves of the clue that are anagrams of each other, with one of them containing the def, marked with a this/these/that/etc. marker." I find it easier to think of the CA in these terms rather than as a deletion (which is, of course, equivalent). So, here's how I had written the anno for 8d in my notes:
8 "These trips on acid... wild, disco days, no?" "Yes..." (8) [ODYSSEYS] Def: trips. Composite anagram: (ODYSSEYS + ON ACID) = (DISCO DAYS NO YES)* {wild ...}.