Wednesday 22 June 2022

No 13589, Wednesday 22 Jun 2022, Hypatia

Solution to 26A 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   Folk in the ground heading to Chepauk (6) ETHNIC {IN+THE}*{Ch...k}
4   Poem in three lines originally in Tamil's deep...consuming time (8) TRISTICH {Ta..l}{R{IST}ICH}
9   Taste a baguette...essentially it's served with dips (3,3) TEA BAG [T]
10 Say Amarnath, parliamentarian eats vada (with hole) in party fixture (4,4) LAVA LAMP {LA{VadA}LA}{MP}
12 Girl feeling tense had to lie (8) MISSTATE {MISS}{T}{ATE}
13 Perhaps, I can be batting around cricket match player (6) IODINE {I{ODI}N}{E}
15 Driver drinking American beer carelessly — he's reneged a contract (5,7) TRUCE BREAKER {TRUC{A+BEER}*KER}
18 Remain doubtful of Reverend's commission on the luxury car (2,2,3,5) BE ON THE FENCE (~fee on thr benz to be on the fence)
21 Detective probing support group on-line for hives? (6) APIARY {A{PI}A}{RY}
22 Son in place of daughter touring Brown University (8) STANFORD {S}{FOR}{D} over {TAN}
24 European snake caught in elevator — it doesn't let you go down (4,4) LIFE BOAT {LIF{E}{BOA}T}
25 Show partly turning free? Never! (6) VENEER [T<=]
26 Compact twin cycles carrying teens regularly (8) C?N?E?S? (Addendum - CONDENSE {(-se)COND(+se)SE} over {tEeNs} - See comments)
27 Fly? What Hypatia does in terrace on vacation (6) TSETSE {SETS} in {Te...cE}

DOWN
1   Guess author's residing in manor (8) ESTIMATE {EST{I'M}ATE}
2   Leaves shade (5,3) HEADS OUT {SHADE}* [RA]
3   Cruel Tsar almost believing that criminal admits mistake (4,3,8) IVAN THE TERRIBLE {BELIEVINg+THAT}* over {ERR}
5   Fictional King switches sides for official (4) REAL (-l+r)REA(-r+l)L
6   Make a digital call? (4,4,7) SNAP ONES FINGERS [CD]
7   Type of gangster entertained by one jerk (6) ITALIC {1}{T{AL}IC}
8   Buzz about hero's first name — Mark? (6) HYPHEN {HYP{Hero}E}{N}
11 Repetitive issue ultimately appearing in Tech complaint (7) ITERANT {IT}{i..uE}{RANT}
14 Engineer came without the new tool (7) MACHETE {MAC{THE*}E*}
16 Department stops working online, ultimately corrupt and lazy (8) INDOLENT {IN{D}OLEN*}{c...pT}
17 Policeman needs information about royal lady (8) GENDARME {GEN}{DA{R}ME}
19 Cigar lit holding tip of lighter has a pungent flavour (6) GARLIC {GAR{Li...r}IC*}
20 Fight at home for meal (6) TIFFIN {TIFF}{IN}
23 Roofs of vinyl are not safe for vehicles (4) VANS Acrostic

Reference List
Tense = T, Had = ATE, Player = E(East in Bridge card game), American = A, Detective = PI(Police Inspector), Support group = AA(Alcoholics Anonymous), Line = RY(Railway), Son = S, Daughter = D, European = E, Gangster = AL(Capone), Name = N, Department = D, Information = GEN, Royal = R

58 comments:

  1. My greatest favourite today is 6d. Enjoyed solving today's CW.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very enjoyable CW with several clever clues (a different son in place of daughter for example) and Aha moments. Of course glad to see Chepauk & Tamil. Thank you Hypatia. Have a great time on the terrace!

    ReplyDelete
  3. King changing sides is another example- wasted a lot of time trying to fit in R for L.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. For me the red Herring was Heads out. Filled off instead of out until I figured out the crossings and changed

      Delete
  4. Such smart clues. Really enjoyed myself today Hypatia!

    ReplyDelete
  5. 24 typo.it ahouod be LIF(E)(BOA)T.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There seems to be a NINA - I see Seventy Five..75th crossword of Hypatia? maybe more?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 4th row from bottom up

      Delete
    2. Comes one CW late. TH probably interchanged the CW's. Whenever there is a doubt please refer to the left column which gives the no.of CW's of each setter. It says 76. Though I am a paper solver,I did not spot the Nina. Mine has a lot of corrections making it difficult to read the Nina (corrections inevitable for me for such a brain teaser)

      Delete
    3. Super info Paddyji. 👌

      Delete
    4. Paddy
      Incognito can be pen filled but the rest especially Arden, Avatar are gor me done by pencil. So corrections are easier. But recently (incl today's ) am solving on line grid a few times. Difficult for anagrams as I have to use a paper to write the letters in a circle.

      Delete
    5. Well done in spotting the NINA - CPC. It is indeed my 75th crossword for TH. The Colonel's blog shows 76 because it includes one crossword from the 1ACross blog (called "Starting Off" where I first used this pseudonym. In total, I have had over 200 crosswords published in various publications now.

      Delete
    6. Way to go Hypatia!
      I have a few of them with me in your first book of CW's.

      Delete
    7. Ramesh- you are right. The correct way to do it,when one is in doubt,is to use pencil. I put it down to my laziness and also better visibility. I just manage with a few corrections here and there but makes it hard for finding the Nina. But when all of you are there to help there is no problem.

      Delete
  7. Thoroughly enjoyed solving yet another classic from Hypatia. It took a long time but managed to finish. The second line is it a nina reads "seventy" what does it signify. Say Amarnath ha ha :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We seem to have got it simultaneously Rameshji! Nice spotting..paper solver?

      Delete
    2. On 31st May 2021, Sowmyaji hit half century...so it must be her 75th...if so, she is batting like the 13Ac clue wordplay, 25 runs to go mam..congratulations!

      Delete
    3. Correction after Paddyji's observation- 24 more to go!

      Delete
  8. 26Ac CONDENSE - contract
    twin - second
    cycles - Anind
    carrying - sandwich indicator
    teens regularly - en
    {en} in {second*}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Am not sure if it is anagram K. Becomes indirect doesn't it? I parsed as a cycling clue
      ( -SE ) COND (EN) +SE.
      experts to approve.

      Delete
    2. Correctly parsed by Rameshji. It is a cycling clue with insertion of EN not an anagram,

      Delete
  9. Oh, too bad you found it hard Sathia. Once you get a foothold, usually the clues give way..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations ma'am on the 75th!
    This is my tribute 👇

    How are you, excited? Accept clap from philosopher (7)
    {pat} in {hiya*}
    HYPATIA - philosopher

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good one, albeit indirect. Thanks for the sweet tribute.

      Delete
  11. Excellent puzzle! 18A was my favourite. Thank you, Hypatia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Amita. Nice to hear something good about ol' Spooner for a change:).

      Delete
  12. Nice grid, Hypatia and congratulations on the 75 mark!
    ETHNIC, STANFORD, TIFFIN, ITERANT and HYPHEN were some favourites. Missed TRISTICH (was stuck on fitting triptych) and the nina :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ramki. Good to know the ones you liked and that even the Champ can be stallled occasionally :)

      Delete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A young lady called MISS TATE
    Avoided GARLIC when she ate
    But she gobbled Idli-vada for TIFFIN
    Along with the HYPHEN
    How much-we're yet to ESTIMATE!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very challenging crossword by Hypatia!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The clue and the solution for 10-A reveals that Hypatia is a fan of cricket!!
    Madam, you had set a tough grid today, Managed to solve just a few until I accessed this blogspot to realise how my attempts were futile.
    Nonetheless, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cricket and Cryptics go hand in hand :) Thanks for your kind comments Sureshji.

      Delete
  17. Congratulations Hypatia! What a beautiful grid to commemorate the occasion!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Vasant. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Vasant. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
  18. Had many aha moments. TEA BAG, IODINE, MACHETE and other few helped me to finish the grid. Thanks to Hypatia and congratulation for your 75th CW in THCC. Anticipating for 100th grid

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Prasanna. Good to know which ones you liked.

      Delete
  19. Great Sathia. I am sure you will.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lovely grid Hypatia. Congrats on your milestone. May you reach the Century (here) soon. 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Gowri. This has taken over 3 years. Lets hope that too will happen:)

      Delete
    2. Thanks Gowri. Should be possible with the good wishes of folks like you.

      Delete

deepakgita@gmail.com