Solution to 12A 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 Lincoln’s resistance well reasoned, out of the ordinary! (12) ABERRATIONAL {ABE}{R}{RATIONAL}
10 Husband’s worry endlessly lingers (5) HANGS {H}{ANGSt}
11 Spinner’s left a note, regularly of value! (9) IMPORTANT {I'M}{PORT}{A}{NoTe}
12 Profile of swashbuckling leader — “Home and away, pull off wins!” (6) S?A?O? (Addendum - SHADOW {Sw...g}{H&A}{DO}{W} - See comments)
13 Inept error not cool, edited for correspondent (8) REPORTER {inEPT+ERROR}*
15 One who might cure reactions to all pesky triggers except rum and gin, basically! (9) ALLERGIST {ALL}{TrIgGERS}*
16 Oddly refused vaccine before introduction of entry condition (4) ACNE {vAcCiNe}{En..y}
20 Delta/omicron, in conclusion, repress vaccine shot! (4) DOSE {D}{O}{r...eS}{v...nE}
21 Reminders on viruses mutating! (9) SOUVENIRS*
24 Stylish traits put in place by India’s top captain (8) ARTISTIC {TRAITS*}{I}{Ca...n}
26 Something that shocks the target, involving marketing, essentially? (6) TEASER {T{m..kEt..g}ASER} Semi&lit
28 American seen outside city while being inside city leads to inquisitiveness (9) CURIOSITY {C{U{RIO}S}ITY}
29 Spins in two directions after grass is trimmed (5) TURNS {N}{S}<=>{TURf}
30 Pulling up from dip towards lower level (8-4) DRESSING DOWN [DD] (Addendum - {DRESSING}{DOWN} - See comments)
DOWN
4 A team with nations, ultimately? (4) AXIS {A}{XI}{n...nS} Semi&lit
5 Setter’s following — one million! The papers: “Magnificent!” (10) IMPRESSIVE {I'VE}<=>{1}{M}{PRESS}
6 Contract currently includes annually revised rates, for starters (6) NARROW {N{An...y}{Re...d}{Ra..s}OW}
7 Rookie gets direction that’s of minimum significance (5) LEAST {L}{EAST}
8 Quarantining finally, carrier cut off all contact! (5) GHOST {q...nG}{HOST}
9 Son tries hiding primarily overcooked lies (7) STORIES {S}{TRIES}* over {Ov...d}
14 Perhaps, ‘I’ in Egoism invites new scandals (10) IGNOMINIES {I+IN+EGOISM}* over {N}
17 Sommelier’s friend’s company initially recruits team having thousands (9) CORKSCREW {CO}{Re...s}{{K'S}{CREW}
19 Positive batting complimented, with captain at the middle (8) INFECTED {IN}{FE{C}TED}
22 In the end, water gets into a boot on the beach (6) ASHORE {A}{SHO{w..eR}E}
23 Dissolve coaches’ entourage at last after years (5) ERASE {e...gE}<=>{ERAS} (Addendum - {c...eS}{e...gE}<=>{ERA} - See comments)
25 Wearied at heart, captain led extraordinary ride (5) TIRED {capTain}{RIDE*}
27 Hue and cry about doctor quitting (4) CYAN {ANd+CrY}*
Reference List
Resistance = R, Husband = H, Win = W, Cool = IN, Delta = D, Omicron = O, India = I, Directions = N,S, Black = B, Million = M, Rookie = L, Son = S, New = N, Thousand = K, Batting = IN, Captain = C
MY CHILDHOOD
ReplyDeleteToday I feel like revisiting my relatively uncomplicated Childhood spent in a Government Colony in New Delhi. My brother & I were inseparable for the most part of it. It was a middle class set up - almost every family had 2 children, 1 radio & 1 scooter. The exception was the CUSTOM OFFICER, who lived in the corner house of our block & owned a Fiat car.
Our evenings were spent playing in the central lawn. I still recall endless evenings spent oscillating TO & FRO on a broken swing while licking a LOLLIPOP & wintry Sunday afternoons spent sunning ourselves as we emptied a packet of HOT POTATO chips. Summer nights were spent sleeping under the open sky, SHROUDED in White bedsheets & no one was scared about any kind of theft or child abuse.
A hilarious but horrifying event, that I recollect vividly, had to do with Alok, a fat bully who lived across from us. There was a cement slide in our play area & once Alok got into a fight with another boy atop the slide. As the fight picked up MOMENTUM, they both fell off the slide in an imitation of the FLYING CIRCUS. Alok hit the ground first & with the IMPACT of the fall, tore his knee. Blood started TRICKLING & in panic, his scream could be heard, right across the road. An only son, his mother screamed louder & it was left to my Mom to untangle the two & clean Alok's wounds with TINCTURE (a standard blue paint - panacea for all wounds).
In all this chaos we forgot the other guy, who had actually fractured one of his FLOATING RIBS. Poor fellow could hardly breathe & had to be rushed to the Main Hospital in the CUSTOM OFFICER's Fiat. It was 4 full months before he could return to play. Imagine his shock, when at the historic site of his accident, all he could see was a pile of rubble!!!
Alok's father Mr. Gupta, a MORON (in hindsight), personally paid for & supervised the demolition of the slide, where his darling son had hurt his knee. For the LONGEST time, the rubble remained there - a testimony which ensured that Alok remained friendless for a long time.
Our favourite pastime was of course Reading & the local library, our favourite haunt. I still remember the day I graduated from Enid Blytons to Perry Masons, then Agatha Christie. The golden moment was finishing The ODESSA FILE, by Frederick Forsythe at all of 14 years. What a coming of age it was.
Our outings were limited to collective Picnics to one of the MAUSOLEUMs strewn across Delhi's landscape & a SLEW of them there are to avoid repetition. Then of course the yearly visits to the zoo where we found the WILD BOARS & NEWTS to be as exciting as Snow leapords & a lone white Liger. There was a snake park too, with a variety of ASPS, but since I abhor anything crawly & creepy, I gave this section a wide berth.
Our parents were strict disciplinarians & we could be grounded for small misdemeanors like BELCHING in front of guests. The high point of my school life was EMCEEing our Annual Day Function & learning to ride a scooter, though it rarely left the LOWEST GEAR.
Whenever I discuss my childhood & its ACTS with my son, he can hardly contain his boredom. He thinks our lives were so mundane & devoid of excitement. According to him, Nostalgia is the only thrill FACTOR. At such times, words often fail me. When I try to piece together, from my somewhat RUSTED memory, all the FACTORS that made my ordinary, uneventful childhood, so memorable - I am forced to acknowledge 2 contradictory facts.
ReplyDelete- In our relative innocence & minimal exposure, we found joy in the simplest of things. Technology was not all pervading. People mattered & in all their glorious forms, shapes & sizes, they contributed to our growth, understanding & long lasting happiness.
- Equally true perhaps is the fact that, by & large every person enjoys his or her childhood & holds it dear. YOGIC dispositions apart, we are all at our happiest as Children & no matter which generation you belong to, you would like to believe, you had the best possible childhood.
What a beautiful tale piece!
Delete+1. Excellent
DeleteInteresting mention of the "coming of age"! For many it was Godfather and The Graduate :-)
DeleteDriving back to Bangalore today
ReplyDeleteNice one from spinner.
ReplyDelete12a anno was last to fall.
26a is &Litt.
30a took as charade.
Dip=dressing
Towards lower level=down
Vladimir was an ABERRATIONAL male
ReplyDeleteMany ATRISTIC TURNS and never stale
He was IMPRESSIVE
But aggressive
And "thereby HANGS a tale!"
Impressive AND agressive
DeleteTurns the stories more positive!
Yesterday I was wondering why Vladimir was taking such a long vacation! Welcome back.
DeleteGood puzzle from Spinner. Loved the themed clues of INFECTED, SOUVENIRS, DOSE, GHOST etc.
ReplyDeleteI took the anno for 23D to be ERA (years) + coache(S) entourag(E).
Coaches is the indicator to follow last entourage (e) after years (eras). I think col's anno suits better.
DeleteI go with Ramki. Coaches & Entourage at last for selecting S & E. Years lead to Era only.
DeleteI too thought about the theme.
DeleteThank you, Ramki and the annotation you provided is what I had intended indeed
Delete12ac.SHADOW.. S(w..g)H(ome)A(n)D O(ff) W(ins)
ReplyDelete@Gowri
ReplyDeleteYour tale today is very much enjoyable and triggered my childhood memories, slightly different from yours.
Every family had more than three children( may even go upto eleven). We were three children and our family was considered a small one
Radio was a luxury for middle classes. Neighbours used to visit us in the evening to listen to Ceylon radio and later, vividh Bharathi. No two wheelers generally. Doctors used ambassador cars, landlords used Ford or Fiat cars. The owners of the cars used to drive them very slow as if in a procession.
But as you have mentioned people had time to get to know people, READ a lot of books and play on the road.
True, we had the best possible childhood, which thrills me even now, at 74, to think about.
Thanks Gowri.
Very well written Gowri taking us way back to our enjoyable childhood- true,everyone has had one.
ReplyDeleteSleeping in the open- a luxury indeed which I enjoyed for a long time. Sleeping on the floor in groups esp.when children gather during functions is certainly a thing of the past. Yes,Fiats & Ambassadors were a luxury. Enjoyed reading about reading habits- a replica (except I have not read Enid Blytons until much later when I skipped through some with my children) Nostalgic!
Loved the Def.- 'Sommelier's friend'. Spinner is always enjoyable. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you 🙏
DeleteLovely Puzzle. My favourite among many clues is 27d.
ReplyDeleteThank you 🙏
DeleteOnedoes not think about seoerating gue and cry!
ReplyDeleteToday’s puzzle was published in the sports page. Spinner's aptly!
ReplyDeleteYes, I did not notice it.
ReplyDeleteSurprising no anno for 12a from non-regular too!
ReplyDeleteWhat about Orthopaul's @ 09.22
DeleteNot correct.
Delete12A: SHADOW - figure
DeleteSwashbuckling leader - S
Home and Away (Australian TV serial) abbreviation - H & A
Pull off - do
Wins - w
Amongst other things, the surface readings in 12,24,18,19,23 are a tribute to one of the defining combines in the history of Indian Test Cricket, Kohli and Shastri
ReplyDelete30 A intended as a charade
ReplyDeletePulling up = Defn
Dip = Dressing as in salad dressing
To a lower level = down as in come down