No 13395, Saturday 06 Nov 2021, Arden

ACROSS

6 Large craft, the passage is slow(5) LARGO {L}{ARGO}

7 Trade depots collecting business address at last(8) POSTCODE {DEPOTS*} around {CO}

10 Stylish teen modeled in set(7) GENTEEL {G{TEEN*}EL}

11 Language close to German, close overall(7) FINNISH {FI{germaN}NISH}

12 Capital to fall back I see...(7) TRIPOLI {TRIP}{{LO}{I}<=}

13 ... if such a variety blooms!(7) FUSCHIA {IF+SUCH+A*}

14 Cryptic clue — it’s hidden in opening signal(11) GESTICULATE {G{CLUE+ITS*}ATE}

19 Fibs about a way to fill containers(7) CANARDS {CAN{A}{RD}S}

21 Her heart filled with love, she’s often in distress(7) DAMOSEL {DAM{O}SEL}

23 Release bird amid building blocks(3,2,2) LET IT GO {LE{T IT}GO}

25 One in Paris not even called, one in London needs a scrub(7) UNCLEAN {UN}{CaLlEd}{AN}

26 Foundation, say for an extra-terrestrial coming in from outer space(8) COSMETIC {COSM{ET}IC}

27 Fifty deposited in bank, it gives some relief(5) SALVE {SA{L}VE}

DOWN

1 Making a mark additionally inland(8) BRANDING {BR{AND}ING}

2 Give up because of vanity(6) FOREGO {FOR}{EGO}

3 Drops one family that’s allowed in game(10) SPILLIKINS {SPILL{I}{KIN}S}

4 Like exposing past life totally...(2,2) AS IF {pASt}{lIFe}

5 ... and not even his disfigurement seemed peculiar(6) ODDISH {ODD}{HIS*}

6 Religious representative’s support for a treatise lacks substance(6) LEGATE {LEG}{A}{TreatisE}

8 Can a stadium hold the game?(7) CANASTA (T)

9 Do talk about energy(5) CHEAT {CH{E{AT}

13 Measure of impatience shown to get Aadhar card, say(5,5) FLUID OUNCE {FL{UID} OUNCE}

15 Art must represent class(7) STRATUM {ART+MUST*}

16 Wind flower, see all around(8) EASTERLY {E{ASTER{LY}

17 Disposed about hundred, rate?(5) SCOLD {S{C}OLD}

18 Look // to play a cricketing shot(6) GLANCE(DD)

20 Idea of half-time during the middle of the day(6) NOTION {NO{TIme}ON}

22 Must come, save half of all membranes(6) MUCOSA {MUst}{COme}{SAve}

24 Once again the house leaders promise(4) OATH (Acrostic)

Reference List

Large=L, Craft=Argo, Business=Co, Way=Rd, Love=O, One in Paris=Un, Extra-terrestrial=ET, Fifty=L

One=I, Support=Leg, Energy=E, Aadhar card=UID, See=Ely, Hundred=C

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Reference list word, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Opposite indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

TalePiece

By Dr RKE

Amelia Jorensen (AJ) is a lovely DAMOSEL who plays the double bass in the FINNISH Philharmonic. It is AS IF Jean Sibelius composed the LARGO section of the Symphony 5 in C Major for her. Her clear white skin needs no COSMETIC or SALVE but she is never seen on stage without a FUSCHIA lipstick. Nicolas Korhonen (NK), the conductor, conscientiously avoids taking a GLANCE at that bright purple shade, for it makes his heart skip a beat and causes the baton to slip from his GESTICULATing hand. The members of the orchestra have taken an OATH not to get romantically involved lest it affects their playing. But can affairs of the heart be controlled by mere rules? There is a CANARD circulating in the troupe that AJ is so focussed on her music that she has no romance in her heart. Of course, a besotted person would never believe such a rumour.

 

Today, after the sell-out performance at the Royal Concert Hall at TRIPOLI, NK has decided to FOREGO the rules and pour forth his feeling for AJ. Having come up the hard way from the lower STRATUM of the society, NK is not used to the GENTEEL ways of the aristocratic AJ and is naturally apprehensive about proposing. They take a walk on the beach in the Palma Beach Resort Hotel. A dry EASTERLY wind blows, that makes his throat MUCOSA go drier, already parched by his anxiety. How he wishes he had a few FLUID OUNCES of his favourite Olvi Finnish beer to wet his whistle? He holds her hand nervously and does not LET IT GO, till she gives an ODDISH look straight into his eyes. What is the NOTION that is running through her mind?  Is she going to SCOLD him / call him a CHEAT / mistake his pure love for a mere UNCLEAN liaison? She merely says, “let us go back to the hotel and play CANASTA”. NK, the romantic fool, is overjoyed. At least she didn’t say “let us play SPILLIKINS”. For canasta is a game of joining (cards) but spillikins is a game where things (the sticks) fall apart. Dear reader, such is the symbolism of seemingly trivial things in a romance!