Solution to 21A 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
8 Antlered hybrid shrugs off insect — lady’s animal (4) DEER antlERED*
9 Omissions excepted, writes down exactly, like, what Ali Baba declared (4,6) OPEN SESAME {O{PENS}E}{SAME} 'Omissions excepted' OE, from E&OE? Containment indicator missing
10 Passes letter bills (6) ENACTS {EN}{ACTS}
11 Air-conditioned housing as unreservedly packed as a musical performance that goes swimmingly? (8) AQUACADE {A{QUA}C}ADE Anno for ADE not clear (Addendum - {A{QUA}C}{lADEn} - See comments)
12 Held firm, overturning award — that’s a little drastic (8) OCCUPIED {CO<=}{CUP}{IE}{Dr...c}
14 Head of department lops everyone’s heads after new HOD provides no kind of resolution (6) NOODLE {Of}{De...t}{Lops}{Ev...e}<=>{N}O Anno for O not clear (Addendum - {Of}{De...t}{Lops}{Ev...e}<=>{N}{hOd} - See comments)
16 Other wise elders organised no doctor (4) ELSE ELdErS*
17 Perhaps vegetable’s regurgitated before shedding its kernel (5) MAYBE {YAM<=}{BeforE}
18 Offer leeway (4) GIVE [DD]
19 Deviously entrap, make headway? (6) TREPAN*
21 Make use of return ticket to take model out, tour around Spain without any escort (8) Y?U?S?L? (Addendum - {Y{tOUR}{ES<=}LF<=} - See comments)
23 Cut joke after second cut (5,3) SPARE RIB {RIB}<=>{S}{PARE}
27 Best car hut invented since sliced bread? (10) BRUSCHETTA* Definition adequate?
28 Gets on with wise elder, top to bottom (4) AGES (-s)AGE(+s)S
DOWN
1 Common cure not available in any form — contained in deformed larva lacking blood type (10) VERNACULAR {CURE+NA}* in {LARVa}*
2 Break free suddenly, pretend you’re captured (8) FRACTURE {FR{ACT}{UR}Ee}
3 French goods with artificial intelligence? Japanese shoot! (6) BONSAI {BONS}{AI} Good is BON but Goods/Bons! Is Bonsai a shoot??
4 Second season will be in France (4) SERA {S}{ERA}
5 Coming out is nuanced — no doubts to begin with; left out in society (8) ISSUANCE {IS}{nUANCEd +S}*
7 In the middle of a bid, I’m asked to return cover (4) AMID {A}{I'M<=}D Anno for D pending (Addendum [T] - See comments)
13 Doctor Murthy finally ends drinking liqour, to start like a teetotaller (5) DRYLY {DR}{m...hY}{f...lY} over {Li...r}
15 Jackpot! Almost winning five elections — a third promise (4,6) LOVE LETTER {LO{V}{ELEctions}TTERy} Definition okay?
17 Excited man finds love, losing independence — rich year for his single-man regime? (8) MONARCHY {M{0}NA*}{RiCH}{Y}
18 Boy, girl running back-to-back laps regularly near sports department — in full throttle (3,5) GAS PEDAL {LAD}{G}<= over {lApS}{PE} What's the contaiment indicator? Definition vague?
20 Term right in the middle of term (6) PHRASE {PH{R}ASE}
22 Uncle almost had an hour out in the nude (6) UNCLAD {UNCLe}{hAD}
24 Rope around hole (4) PORE*
25 Snack chewed with drug (4) BITE {BIT}{E}
Reference List
Lady = L, Letter = EN, New = N, As = QUA, Firm = CO, Model = T, Second = S, Society = S, Independence = I, Year = Y, Girl = G, Sports department = PE, Right = R, Hour = H, Drug = E
7d is a hidden clue. a biD IM Asking in reverse
ReplyDelete18d throttle is def. In full is containment indicator, imu.
ReplyDeleteDef agreed. But how is 'In full' a contaimnet indicator.
DeleteJust in would be sufficient. But I took full to mean both parts as and pe to be in.
DeleteMediocre puzzle IMHO on both wordplay and surfaces
ReplyDelete+1 too many convoluted straight lines. Stopped solving midway.
Delete+1 I gave it up too. Not worth the effort.
Delete14a
ReplyDeleteHOD provides no HD: high definition- video resolution. So only O remains
11a packed laden. Unreservedly, open(ly)
ReplyDelete21ac..YOURSELF..(t)our el in flying reverse
ReplyDeleteNot that simple.
DeleteMake use of return ticket = fly back = YLF
Deleteto take model out, tour = tour - t = our
around Spain = se
Overall
{y{our}{es}lf}
Typo, sorry
Delete{y{our}{se}lf}
9a don't know of we can pick one that way but writes down , pens in.
ReplyDeleteSorry typos.
DeleteDon't know if we can pick o&e that way because it's E&O primarily.
But writes down can be pens in.
Struggled with this one all the way. Didn't get Psycho, Aquacade, Sera. Thanks to Col. for the blog and many annos that I didnt get
ReplyDelete+1 for the struggle. Did not get many more.
ReplyDelete+2
Delete21a) yourself - without any escort
ReplyDeleteTicket - fly -- returning gives ylf
Tour without model is our
Around Spain is SE
Yourself is without any escort
Not sure what's the need for "make use of"
Yourself - without any escort
ReplyDeleteTicket is fly -- return ticket is YLF
Tour without model - OUR
Spain around - SE
YOURSELF - without any escort
Not sure what is the role of "Make use of"
Yourself - without any escort
ReplyDeleteTicket is fly -- return ticket is YLF
Tour without model - OUR
Spain around - SE
YOURSELF - without any escort
Not sure what is the role of "Make use of"
15d actually reminds me a case by one of the govt dept in SC.
ReplyDeleteWhere the SC had to say "expression of interest" is not a "binding" contract.
As far as I get, love letter is an expression of interest. Not a binding promise.
Where does the clue say it is binding?
DeleteThat is what I am also asking.
DeleteSetter does not say binding but the def. is promise.
DeleteThis is his 2nd CW. First one was a Sunday Cryptic on 5th Sept. Since it was a Sunday,most of us would have missed it.
ReplyDeletePsycho = out to lunch? The link doesn't seem to provide that meaning.
ReplyDeleteThe full expression is "his mind went out to lunch" (even before the lunch bell!).
DeleteMeaning body present mind absent. In the sense nuts/crazy.
I am personally not convinced whether it means psycho. (Crazy is synonym of psycho)
I had the same doubt too. Just follow Col.'s link on Psycho. Anything in doubt- Col. always gives a link.
ReplyDeleteMany clues appear convoluted.
ReplyDeleteDid not get AQUACADE, SERA, NOODLE, PSYCHO.
Is Spain es or se? Kindly clarify.
However my COD - PHRASE.
Spain is es around<=
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is Balaji (Bruno) Managed to struggle through and finish, but many clues were highly convoluted and not very enjoyable. Attention to cryptic grammar recommended.
ReplyDelete