Solution to 8D 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 Competence at organising foyer picnic (11) PROFICIENCY*
9 Secrecy about road’s condition? Not at first (7) STEALTH {ST}{hEALTH}
10 On regular roof, statue is well-built (6) ROBUST {RoOf}{BUST}
11 Measuring instrument looks the same from both ends (5) RADAR <=>
12 Squeeze half of them with steel (7) EMBRACE {thEM}{BRACE}
15 Roman emperor starts new era ruling obscenely (4) NERO Acrostic
16 In a riot, await flyer, spend wastefully (6,4) TRIFLE AWAY*
18 Being understanding towards them? Useless! (10) EMPATHETIC {'EM}{PATHETIC}
20 At deli, cook is not working (4) IDLE*
23 Copy-cats or birds? (7) PARROTS [DD]
26 King, new, Conservative, leaves for German capital (6) REGENT RE(-c+g)ENT
27 Headgear for democrat leader surrounded by fruit (7) BANDANA {BAN{De...t}ANA}
28 Thoughtful desecration? Ridiculous! (11) CONSIDERATE*
DOWN
2 Monarchs’ measuring devices (6) RULERS [DD]
3 Alpine wind on flowerless plant, we hear (4) FOHN (~fern)
4 Confirm fun making sweet bread? (4,6) CORN MUFFIN*
6 Funds to frighten money-spinner (4,3) CASH COW {CASH}{COW}
7 Alienated eccentric caught in regular eddy (9) ESTRANGED {Ed{STRANGE}Dy}
8 Fixer to stray, lose way even (6) ?E?D?R (Addendum - MENDER MEaNDER - See comments)
13 Adjusted to the East, leaderless, old-fashioned (10) ORIENTATED {ORIENT}{dATED}
14 A hardy bed dismantled in Indian city (9) HYDERABAD*
17 Appetisers in ship contain sour irregular pear (8) STARTERS {S{TART}{pEaR}S}
21 Humiliate cardinal who protects the meek partially (6) DEMEAN {DE{MEek}AN}
22 Scheme for alien on Earth, say (6) PLANET {PLAN}{ET}
25 Extreme letters from daubers (4) UBER [T]
Reference List
Left = L, Conservative = C, Ship = SS
8D = MENDER (MEANDER without the even letter of wAy)
ReplyDelete12 A - Squeeze half of them with steel. Of course, half of 'them' is em but could not make out as to how BRACE represents steel. Kindly enlighten me.
ReplyDeleteTo STEEL oneself or BRACE oneself - to strengthen to deal with difficulties
ReplyDeleteThank you for this clarification.
DeleteRegards
Suresh Panje
Lovely crossie! Thanks Anon. :)
ReplyDeleteVery good clues today. I got both the long ones (1A and 28A)!
ReplyDeleteThird day in succession.Easy for the commons.Thank you Anon.Thomphil
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHow vesper can be placebo?
ReplyDelete" The first use of placebo in English came in the 13th century, referring to the vespers for the dead in the Roman Catholic Church. Placebo is the first word in the first line of the first antiphon, Psalms 114:9."
Delete