No 13392, Tuesday 02 Nov 2021, Dr. X

Solution to 13A 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   Affectionate feeling shown by drunkards consuming strong cannabis (4,4) SOFT SPOT {SO{F}TS}{POT}

5   Woman with flair captures man’s heart and love (6) WARMTH {W}{AR{M}T}{H}

10 Kamala is elected, curbing unease (7) MALAISE [T]

11 Centre of Ophthalmology in Bosnia analysed pink-eyed rabbits (7) ALBINOS {A{o...aLm...y}BINOS*}

12 Decline to wear gold for so long (5) ADIEU {A{DIE}U}

13 Crude and most frivolous model popping ecstasy on stage (9) I?E?E?A?T (Addendum - INELEGANT {IN{E}{LEG}ANe}{T} - See comments)

14 What census worker might do to be knocked out? (4,3,5) TAKE THE COUNT [C&DD]

18 Readiness to protect gangster? Darn liar! (5,7) FALSE WITNESS {F{AL}{SEW}ITNESS}

21 Runs round and leaps up to control rebellious horse (9) ORGANISES {O}{R{NAG<=}ISES}

23 One left with wonder in Nigerian town (5) ILAWE {1}{L{AWE}

24 Again throw out former husband in disgust (7) REEXPEL {RE{EX}PEL}

25 A hit song, the latest rage (1,2,4) A LA MODE {A}{LAM}{ODE}

26 Parking in bazaar around old American city (2,4) EL PASO {SA{P}LE<=}{O}

27 Wedding song by extremely happy chaps swilling ale (8) HYMENEAL {HappY}{MEN}{ALE*}

DOWN

1   Starter of bonda in rasam, original South Indian dish (6) SAMBAR {SAM{Bo..a}AR*}

2   Turn to embrace single lady giving encouragement (6) FILLIP {F{1}{L}LIP}

3   Demand to fire president for bit of misconduct (9) STIPULATE STI(-m+p)PULATE

4   Toss a lifeline frantically to rescue last character — it’s suitable for every purpose (3-4-4-3) ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL {TOSS+A+LIFELINE}* over {Z}

6   Deft to cuddle maiden in promenade (5) AMBLE {A{M}BLE}

7   Judicial writ by lawyer after staff reviewed problem (8) MANDAMUS {DA}<=>{MAN} and {SUM<=}

8   Dislike keeping outlandish ties in stall (8) HESITATE {H{TIES*}ATE}

9   Enthralled by sake say, get terribly wasted in lounge (4,6,4) TAKE THINGS EASY {SAKE+SAY+GET}* over {THIN}

15 Threw wicket around lunchtime resulting in reprimand (9) CASTIGATE {CAST}{GATE} over {1}

16 Needless to say, one avoids ferocious rogue (2,6) OF COURSE FEROCiOUS*

17 Man after delay enters drain to get pile of waste matter (4,4) SLAG HEAP {S{LAG}{HE}AP}

19 Fellow abandoned plea for possible release from prison (6) PAROLE {PLEA+fOR}*

20 Enjoy hosting a show (6) REVEAL {REVE{A}L}

22 Scruffs in Italian city wanting lire (5) NAPES NAPlES

Reference List

Strong = F, Woman = W, Man = M, Heart = H, Model = T, Ecstasy = E, Gangster AL(Capone), Left = L, Parking = P, Old = O, Lady = L, President = P, Maiden = M, Lawyer = DA, Fellow = F, Lire = L

TalePiece

By Dr RKE

I don’t HESITATE to REVEAL that I have a SOFT SPOT, nay, a passionate love affair with SAMBAR. OF COURSE, I am not a frog-in-the-well South Indian. My travels have taken me across the continents to places such as EL PASO or ILAWE and I have tasted their cuisines – and I speak from experience. You might CASTIGATE the sambar as sounding lowly and [WILL BE ADDED LATER], not something fashionable as A LA MODE apple pie, not something on the mind of a person who ORGANISES a HYMENEAL party. But for me, there is nothing to give me that FILLIP, which the WARMTH of the sambar engenders as you dip a piece of a fluffy idli in it and swallow it straight. You then experience that exciting tingling in the NAPE that you last felt when you got your first kiss. MALAISE, occasioned by eating insipid continental food for days, vanishes instantly.   It is my comfort food, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to TAKE THINGS EASY.

 

There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL formula for making good sambar- for making sambar is not culinary science, it is an art. If you want to TAKE THE COUNT of things that are put in to make sambar, the list is endless- but I STIPULATE that the ingredient that makes all the difference is the love- of the someone special who is making it for you. Come on, bid ADIEU to those tasteless, flavourless dishes that 5- star restaurants sell only because of their fancy names, confine them to the SLAG HEAP. We have a national bird, a national animal and a national flower. If I were a judge, I would pass a MANDAMUS, enjoining the Government to declare sambar as our national dish.