Solution to 9A 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
9 Moneylender without initial capital remains loose (7) U?L?A?H (Addendum - UNLEASH {UNcLE}{ASH} - See comments)
10 Cryptic clue form occasionally with comma in the end causes problem to the eye (7) LEUCOMA {CLUE*}{fOrM}{c..mA}
13 Suitable for occupation by mostly intern ladies in a mess (11) RESIDENTIAL {INTERn+LADIES}*
16 Able-bodied incognito did no job essentially at sea (2,4,9) IN GOOD CONDITION {INCOGNITO+DID+NO+jOb}*
18 Narcissistic damselfish? (4-7) SELF-CENTRED How do we classify this clue? Definition by example. See comments.
22 Puzzled lots (4,2,3) LOST AT SEA {LOTS}* [RA]
24 Silly soldiers chase some booze (5) BARMY {ARMY}<=>{Bo..e}
25 Capital's appearance influenced by rich islands (7) NAIROBI {N{AIR}OB}{I}
26 Left-over uniform, clean up (7) UNEATEN {U}{NEATEN}
DOWN
1 Sudoku solved without you? Say congratulations! (5) KUDOS SUDOKu*
2 50 in bill for fish (5) BLEAK {B{L}EAK}
5 Pablo odd on ordering sandwiches for the life-giver (5,5) BLOOD DONOR [T]
6 Miss India cake (6) MUFFIN {MUFF}{IN}
8 It slices vegetables, powders almond at home (8) MANDOLIN {ALMOND*}{IN}
14 Player's double fault (6-4) SECOND-SLIP {SECOND}{SLIP} Second slip is a position and not a player per-se. See comments.
15 Agile cast played without laughing (9) AGELASTIC*
16 Mainly vodka is missing on the rocks? How rude! (8) INSOLENT INSOLvENT
17 Thankful truly to accommodate bishop and knight finally (8) INDEBTED {INDE{B}{k...hT}ED}
19 Waxwork done with this from cosmic ray only (6) CRAYON [T]
20 White House initially arrested spy for fury (5) WRATH {W}{RAT}{Ho..e}
Reference List
Rich = NOB, Islands = I, Uniform = U, 50 = L, Women = W, Heroin = H, India = IN, Bishop = B, White = W, Spy = RAT
9AC: Loose = UNLEASH. Monyeylender = Uncle". Without C = UNLE. Remains = ASH. UNLEASH
ReplyDeleteWell solved, Rajan!
DeleteVery well solved,nice, 👍
DeleteThank you KKR & Sarathi :-)
Delete14DN I have dictionary def. as below: "The meaning of SECOND SLIP is a fielding position in cricket near to and on the off side of first slip; also : a player fielding in this position."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. My comment is not warranted. Even in Bridge, players are called North, South etc which is their position
DeleteIn fact, I had this as my COD.
DeleteNice grid, enjoyed solving got 95% especially 22a so very happy. Liked 12a as well. Doubt on 11a is eaten part of the word play or just for surface?
ReplyDeleteThanks Badri. Yes, eaten for surface reading
Delete18A Definition by Location ??
ReplyDeleteDefinition by example?
DeleteChandrasekhar, there is no indicator for location so it can't be that.
DeletePaddy, what is the example?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI intended it as DBE as Paddy guessed. SELF is exactly in the centre of damselfish
DeleteGeneral comment
DeleteAny clue that does not conform to a single pattern (or category) may perhaps be called INNOVATIVE clue!
These are classified as Novelty clues. Some of the classic ones that I remember are:
Delete1. Gegs (9,4)
2. O (8,6)
3. HIJKLMNO (5) and its variant ONMLKJIH (4-5)
Self is centred in damSELFish.
DeleteVasant- clarification
Delete1. Scrambled Eggs
2. ??? oxygen?
3. Water & Backwater?
Paddy, you are correct. No.1 was by Gridman, I think. No. 3 is super solve. No. 2 yet to crack
Delete2 With a different enumeration
DeleteO (4,6) is LOVE LETTER
Circular letter?
DeleteCircular Letter is right!
DeleteOnly a couple of days back I was thinking that we have not heard from KKR for a long time.
ReplyDeleteHappy to do your nice CW.
Indeed i had the same thought
DeleteThanks. I was little busy with some family functions and hence not active for a week.
DeleteGood crossword. Bordering Kishore's. Thank u KKR garu
ReplyDeleteThanks
Deleteliked Miss India too! Had a good laugh when it dawned on me.
ReplyDeleteProbably first time, I could solve 90% of KKR's crossie. Liked 22a RA, 26a Charade, 14d and 21d - the Definition 'animal that laughs?'
ReplyDeleteThanks Ramesh. I am happy about your performance
DeleteThanks Sathia
ReplyDeleteDelightful crossie, Thanks KKR garu!
ReplyDeleteMy favs... 9A, 22A, 25A.
Thanks MBgaru
DeleteExcellent crossie except for two naggets!
ReplyDelete12a Chambers.co.uk has Proof v meaning proofread. Def a Root problem.
18d centred is a US spelling. Plus centred being adjective should come before noun!
@ Prasad! For once i thought the same about both the above.
DeleteAm I inching towards a better understanding of clues & cluing?? 😊
I, ofcourse, was not confident enough to post my doubts!!
Deleteself-centred adjective
Delete/ˌself ˈsentəd/
/ˌself ˈsentərd/
(US English self-centered)
The above is from OED
DeleteThanks Prasad for your views.
DeleteI don't know how there is a root issue here. It's a simple charade clue.
Why you are looking into the word [usage could be American]. It is very much there in almost all dictionaries. Do you mean to say the dictionaries are wrong? We will find several such words [like self-conscious]. Particularly, this clue, being different from routine, you have to take it as it comes, ha ha.
Centred is British spelling. Centered is American spelling.
DeleteI have 2 doubts.
Delete1. Proof reading is nothing but checking for errors against the original document (which is the proof).
Hence i thought Proof & proof reading have the same root.
2. If the answer is PROOF READ & a part of the clue leads to the word PROOF - is this really a root issue?
Or is it that the clue should not directly contain a word which may be the root of the answer.
Kindly clarify when u have time.
Reg Centred - i had some confusion over the spellings - Thanx Colonel!
DeleteSelf centred is a compound word which totally forms an adjective.
Self centered man.
If centered is the adjective, it has to precede the noun, I thought.
Thanks col on the spelling. Stand corrected.
DeleteAs an experiment, "damselfish" itself would have worked. (No need for narcissist!). Dam selfish as def is enough! (Anyways "self in the centre" (centred self) to self centred would be gettable by avg solver. So agree with the leeway)
But proofread is an issue. Because proof(ing) can replace proofread(ing) in any sentence. It's just that read here is a qualifier. And the charade is simply cluing the two words directly with synonyms. And the definition "check for errors" is actually applicable to any proof/test. Need not necessarily for reading.
As I said naggets.
Excellent and entertaining crossword from KKRji today. Loved solving.
ReplyDeleteThanks RNP sir!
DeletePrinting, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a trial impression made from composed type, or a print-out (from a laser printer, etc.) for the correction of errors
ReplyDeleteThis from Free Dic. I checked up OED as well. No mention of proof read,
IMO,proof and proof read are 2 diff.things
From chambers.co.uk for
DeleteProof:
verb (proofed, proofing) 1 to make something resistant to or proof against a specified thing. Often in compounds • to damp-proof the walls. 2 to take a proof of (printed material). 3 to proof-read.
Staying on novelty
ReplyDeleteIsolated place: El Asmada? (9)'
Backwater.
DeleteAdam's ale=water. Reversed.
Nice clue
DeleteNice puzzle. Liked many especially Hyena. Some doubts
ReplyDelete11 A - Fruit mostly eaten by the great ape (5) ORANG ORANGe
mostly eaten = delete all but last letter rather than keeping them
If 'by' is a connector, it should be 'definition by wordplay' not 'Wordplay by definition'
12 A - is not quite cryptic.
14 D - Player's double fault (6-4) SECOND-SLIP
How double = second?
Double is not second, but double fault is second slip.
ReplyDeleteKRK had explained above that eaten itself is there only for surface reading (not sure if you will agree with it) So it is fruit mostly giving orang.
No Paddy, not in favor of adding redundant words (which affect cryptic grammar) just for the surface.
DeleteHi! There is nothing to debate about. You cannot add words because it helps surface reading. The word 'eaten' is extraneous. Period. The setter could simply have said 'finally eaten/consumed'.
DeleteAnd yes, the point about 'by' is also valid.
DeleteThanks all for the inputs.
DeleteAjeesh, "second" is "double" as per Chambers Thesaurus.
Yes, I see double under second (adj) though second is not listed under double in Chambers. Thanks
DeleteUnder "double" it is listed [as verb] below:
Delete2 double as someone/something
have a second job/purpose, have a dual/second role, do/function also
Interesting clues KKR garu. Many aha moments. 50% solved in wee hours. rest solved few min. ago. 22a,12a & 14D took more time. overall enjoyed by solving your grid.
ReplyDeleteThanks Prasanna
DeleteA tough and enjoyable puzzle. However, 23D: ARUM is not a tree; it's a plant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out. Yes, it is a plant. Apologies
ReplyDelete