RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY
All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.
PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED
Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.
Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only
The regular blog will replace the clues at 4 PM.
Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.
ACROSS
1 Proof includes camera rolls featuring a politician’s plan to discredit (5,8) SMEAR CAMPAIGN {SIGN} over {CAMER{A}{MP}A*}
8 Lady’s passionate in the morning (5) MADAM {MAD}{AM}
9 Closest friends crash after consuming Southern punch on retirement (5,4) BOSOM PALS {BO{S}OM}{SLAP<=}
11 Nude lovers jumping up in the air (10) UNRESOLVED*
12 Silly joke by amateur (4) GAGA {GAG}{A}
14 Wine in endless session, more savoury (7) TASTIER {T{ASTI}ERm}
16 One damsel, largely enthralled by peg gives number (7) ITEMISE {1}{TE{MISs}E}
17 Rural boy starting to undergo abdominal pain (7) BUCOLIC {B}{Un...o}{COLIC}
19 Mark keeps fish in motorcycle attachment (7) SIDECAR {S{IDE}CAR}
21 Geek in dinner date (4) NERD [T]
22 Dash to squeal about affair (10) SMATTERING {S{MATTER}ING}
25 Chemical agents more frequently transported by steamer (9) SOFTENERS {S{OFTENER}S}
26 Roll dope, have a little smoke (5) TWIST {TWI{Sm..e}T}
27 Result of bookies shutting shop — anything can happen now (3,4,3,3) ALL BETS ARE OFF [C&DD]
DOWN
2 Contemporary people mostly reserved about Republican nationalist (7) MODERNS {MODE{R}{N}St}
3 Commercial shot around Britain is acceptable (10) ADMISSIBLE {AD}{MISSI{B}LE}
4 Endlessly shout after sailor enters party (5) CABAL {C{AB}ALl}
5 Extremely masterly programme featuring tense whodunits (9) MYSTERIES {Ma...lY}{S{T}ERIES}
6 Soldiers out to lunch, wanting bit of booze (4) ARMY bARMY
7 South American Indian in Nicaragua ran impressively (7) GUARANI [T]
8 Tricksters in gambling game welcoming posh groups (11) MOUNTEBANKS {MO{U}NTE}{BANKS}
10 At first, egg husband to sort out performance anxiety (5,6) STAGE FRIGHT {AT+FIRST+EGG+H}*
13 Exactly in the middle of mortuary (4,6) DEAD CENTRE [DD]
15 Rude bum in novel is lying (9) RECUMBENT {REC{BUM*}ENT}
18 Scrupulous fellow taken in by a cruel rogue (7) CAREFUL {F} in {A+CRUEL}*
20 Despicable person from CIA engineered dispute (7) CAITIFF {CIA*}{TIFF}
23 Analysis by leading attorney in hard case (5) TESTA {TEST}{A}
24 Woman starting to braise culinary plant (4) HERB {HER}{Br...e}
Reference List
Southern = S, Amateur = A, Peg = TEE, Boy = B, Steamer = SS, Republican = R, Nationalist = N, Commercial = AD, Britian = B, Sailor = AB, Tense = T, Posh = U, Husband = H, Fellow = F
21a - NERD [T]
ReplyDelete25A - steamer-ship (SS); frequently -OFTEN- S (OFTEN)(ER) S-SOFTENER
24D- women - HER ; starting to braise - B ; - HERB
15D - rude-NT ; (novel is)*over NT - (INSOLVE)*NT- insolvent
22a - affair - Matter ; squeal - high pitch voice s(matter)ing-SMATTERING
15D is incorrect
DeleteIt is more than an hour. I expected a large number of solutions by now. Doctor is very soft with his scalpel today. Painless operation.
ReplyDeleteDr.X puzzles usually a challenging one. Need more exercises. For me I really enjoyed it solving those puzzles in wee hours.
DeleteGlad to know it was easy for you.
Delete27a DD ALL BETS ARE OFF
ReplyDelete25A More frequent OFTERNER in Steamer SS SOFTENERS chemical agents
26a dope TWIT bit of (S)moke in twit TWIST Roll
21a dinNER Date NERD Geek
22a Squeal SING affair MATTER about sing SMATTERING dash
22ac compensation
ReplyDelete16a one I damsel largely MIS-S Peg in TEE ITEMISE gives number
Good solve. Peg as Tee is refreshingly different.
ReplyDeleteTricksters says 8D.
ReplyDeleteIs Doc.one among them?
Tricky CW and enjoyable. Lot of aha moments.
1A- smear campaign- plan to discredit; sign - proof, camera - jumble, politician- mp;S(MEARCA)MPAIGN
ReplyDelete2A-Madam- lady; passionate- mad; morning AM
3A- bosom pals; crash consumes southern - bo(s)om ; punch- slap on retirement - pals
11A- unresolved- in the air; nude lovers jumbled
14A- tastier- more savoury, wine- asti; endless session is ter(m)
1A annotation needs to be corrected
DeleteA politician-AMP
ReplyDeletePlease indicate the full annotation correctly
DeleteS(MEARCA)MP(A)IGN-?
ReplyDeleteNot correct
Delete8.ac.inure - inu United and re from Manchester
ReplyDelete9.ac. on the ball (DD)
11.ac. synergetic - s from architects and green city rearranging letters
14.ac.restate - r + estate (property)
19.ac.section - rearranging letters from notices
This is yesterday's crossword
Delete3dn ADMISSIBLE. {AD}{MISSI{B}LE}
ReplyDelete19ac SIDECAR. {S{IDE}CAR}
13dn DEAD CENTRE. [DD]
18ac CAREFUL. {F} in {A CRUEL}*
2dn MODERNS { MODE{RN}S(-t)}
11A UNRESOLVED ( NUDE LOVERS )*
ReplyDelete5D MYSTERIES (extremely MasterlY) MY + SERIES (programme) + T(ense) *
7D GUARANI ==>T NICAR.....etc
Anno of 5D is incorrect
Delete5D (MY){S(T)ERIES}
Delete17 bucolic - b(oy) u(ndergo) colic - abdominal pain
ReplyDelete10D STAGE FRIGHT (at first egg), "H" probably comes from husband
ReplyDeleteAT+FIRST+EGG+H = ATFIRSTEGGH ?
Delete12A joke = gag, amateur = a, gag+a = gaga = silly.
ReplyDelete20D CIA engineered = Cai, dispute = tiff, cai+tiff = caitiff = despicable person.
ReplyDelete23D analysis = test, leading (A)ttorney = A, test+a = testa = hard case, the protective outer covering of a seed; the seed coat.
ReplyDelete15D rude bum = umb, novel = recent, rec(umb)ent = recumbent = lying.
ReplyDelete8D gambling game = Monte, posh = u, groups = banks, mo(u)ntebanks = mountebanks = tricksters.
ReplyDeleteSujatha please try and provide all your answers in one comment in future
Delete4d
ReplyDeleteCABAL: party
Endlessly shout: CALL -L: CAL
After sailor (AB) enters it becomes CABAL
1a: SMEAR CAMPAIGN {S{CAMERA+A+MP*}IGN}
ReplyDeleteAnnotation is not correct
Delete6d ARMY; soldiers; bARMY = out to lunch
ReplyDelete5d M..y+s(t)eries
ReplyDelete18D Scrupulous, fellow (F) taken in by "a cruel" rouge: {(CAREUL)+F} = CAREFUL
ReplyDelete1A Proof (SIGN) includes 'camera' rolls (MEARCA) featuring a politician's (MP A), plan to discredit.
ReplyDelete{S+(MEARCA)+(MPA)+IGN}? = SMEARCAMPAIGN ?
Not correct
Delete1A anno (S (camera+a+mp)* ign)
ReplyDeleteIncorrect
DeleteCorrect annotations for 1A and 10D still to be given. Anyone can try
ReplyDelete1A {S{MEARC{A}{MP}A*}IGN}
ReplyDelete10D {AT+FIRST+EGG+H}*
Today's puzzle by Dr.X was very entertaining, to say the least. It was a nice brain exercise in the morning, despite the fact that it was an easy puzzle compared to the usual ones by Dr.X. Enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI started solving the puzzles from 4;30am. after a huge try I hardly got the telescopic clues. thanks to Dr. for the entertaining puzzles.
DeleteThanks for the feedback. 🙏
DeleteClassic puzzle with precise wordplay. My favourite All Bets Are Off.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vasant 👍
Delete