Solution to 5D 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 In other words, a moist European plant (4,2,1,4) LOVE IN A MIST {0} in {A}{MIST} = {A MOIST}
10 Master control, block capital (9) AMSTERDAM {MASTER*}{DAM}
11 Union member comfortable in prison (9) BRIDEWELL {BRIDE}{WELL}
12 Dig into some strudel, very tasty (5) DELVE [T]
13 Approval to review communist reformer (7) AMENDER {AMEN}{RED<=}
15 Rate part of movie promotion (4) RAIL tRAILer
20 Figure out and log in to the city (7) COLOGNE {CO{LOG}NE}
23 Vessel returning from Muscat, roaming all over (5) AORTA [T<=]
24 Clubs, perhaps, arranging mini tours (5,4) MINOR SUIT*
26 Mental illness — pity it goes along with 19 (9) PYROMANIA {PitY}{ROMANIA}
28 Alcoholic very tense (3) SOT {SO}{T}
DOWN
1 Capital stay, one supports protein rich food (4,4) LIMA BEAN {LIMA}{B{E}AN} (Correction - {LIMA}{BE}{AN} - See comments)
3 Paper goes topless, it's a problem (5) ISSUE tISSUE
4 A friend's hurt, being exposed as a greenhorn (7) AMATEUR {A}{MATE}{hURt}
5 Small-town ceramic, perhaps to be removed (7) I?S?L?R (Addendum - INSULAR INSULAtoR - See comments)
6 Sing about doctor made exercise equipment (9) TREADMILL {TR{MADE*}ILL}
7 Doubled increase of fraud (6) FIDDLE {DD} in {FILE}
8 Moderate check on Pound (6) DAMPEN {DAM}{PEN}
14 Truly assumed charge and gave a speech (9) DECLAIMED {CLAIM} {inDEED}
17 It accommodates a subject not belonging to any country (8) SENTENCE [DD?]
19 Broadcast over our PM shortly coming up in country (7) ROMANIA {AI{NAMO}R}<=
21 Bones formed by vehicle discharge (6) CARPUS {CAR}{PUS}
22 Fungal attack on door frame, right from below (3-3) DRY-ROT {DooR}{TORY<=}
25 Place to rest, very big in Erode (5) ROOST {RO{OS}T}
Reference List
Nothing much = FA(Fanny Adams), Right = R, Standard = S, Tense = T, Very big = OS
I thi k the def.for 1D should be 'Protein rich food'.
ReplyDeleteA sad day. Could hardly crack half a dozen only ☹️
ReplyDeleteNoneed to be sad. Slightly o the harder side.
DeleteExcellent CW though struggled a bit for a few- of course giving me a few aha moments. Not a trwadmill,definitely.
ReplyDeleteBothersome, Evensong,Doubled. What does one call this type of words ?
ReplyDeleteArdenisms
Delete😀
DeleteNice clues, could finish only 70%, liked bothersome and doubled.
ReplyDeleteEvensong- just pick even ketters of song,OG.
ReplyDeleteTrue Sir, similar grammar(parsing) is for double D and bother SOME too.
DeleteAdd on E too
DeleteBothersome - anagram of SOME with R(ight) inside
ReplyDelete5 d solved, not publishing, let others try
ReplyDeleteAll are regular wordplay- with a slight taist,of course.
ReplyDeleteTwist
ReplyDeleteA doybt about1D. How to get E from one?
ReplyDeleteWord play again if read as stay(BAN). On E
DeleteStay:be one:an
DeleteThis is real aha moment for me
Delete+1
DeleteSo,stay is just be and not ban.
ReplyDeleteYesterday Sinner played Isner at Wimbledon. I was wondering how one would write a clue connecting the 2 names!
ReplyDeleteInteresting one Paddyji..you got half so i will fill some more to say " He lost when Sinner played no last Wimbledon (5)"
DeleteActually their initials are same too..J.Sinner bt J.Isner 😃
DeleteHe played Isner and eventually won?
DeleteGood one Abhishek - it looks so simple a sentence like asking a Q and yet very elegant 👏
Delete+1. Yes,he eventually one too.
DeleteSorry for the typo- eventually won.
DeleteProbably an anagrind is needed?
Played is the anagram indicator
DeleteOh! Extremely good clue.
Delete5D INSULATOR (Ceramic) with TO removed. INSULAR - Small-town
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete25D. Erode.. Noun because of Capitalization of the first letter. However, Erode is Rot,as given is i feel a mismatch.
ReplyDeleteFalse capitalisation is part of the game. Some setters,if they want to be meticulous,take it to the start of the clue to justify the capital.
DeleteDifficult one for me. But several very good clues. 👏
ReplyDeleteJust an observation - yesterday also this was given in Ref List
Nothing much = FA(Fanny Adams)
Curious, searched and read - very very gruesome!
Tough one with typical Arden wordplays in FIDDLE, MORES, DECLAIMED etc. MINOR SUIT, VORTICES, DAMPEN, AMATEUR were favourites.
ReplyDeleteStill not clear about the anno for SENTENCE - how is it a DD?
+1 particularly for sentence.
DeleteCol. has also put a ?
DeleteStateless is not belonging to any country,but it is a 9 letter word.
What is the purpose of 'it accommodates a subject'?
SENTENCE has a 'subject', an object and a verb.
DeleteIn 14D, I have a doubt.
ReplyDeleteTruly = indeed; 'in' is container indicator and hence the parsing is {claim} in {deed}.
Then what is the role of 'assumed' in the clue?
Good question.
DeleteYes, I had the same doubt when I wrote the clue, Ramesh, but I had to use 'assumed' for
Deletethe sake of surface. If I write 'Truly charge and gave a speech' the POS goes for a toss.
Thanks sir for the clarification.
Delete🙏
A slightly tough, enjoyable puzzle. Thank you, Arden. One complaint: the clue for 17D was rather vague. I got SENTENCE from the cross-letters and the first part of the clue, but "not belonging to any country" seems obscure.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a bit obscure, Amita. The original clue read 'Violent scene-ten involved get punishment', but for some reason I changed it at the last moment. I should have left it
Deleteas it was.
Thank you, Arden
Delete