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| Rangoli by Gowri |
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.
WrdPlougher's clues have given me a headache. Had to cheat on many and then reverse engineer them for the annotations still I could not reverse engineer 23A!!
ACROSS
8 Stuff-renouncing saint admitting hoarding initially instead, in a bad mood (4) HUFF {stUFF}<=>{Ho...g}
9 Contrives to lose, both sides chasing leaderless team in central square (10) QUADRANGLE {RANG}{LosE}<=>{sQUAD} (Addendum - {wRANGLEs}<=>{sQUAD} - See comments)
10 Played demure Tully in a 'Game...' show? (6) EDMURE*
12 Excited about the drill (8) THRILLED*
14 Move a muscle, take by force (6) ABDUCT [DD]
16 Unproductive bank (4) LEAN [DD]
17 First fled, burying upturned white-blue speckled vase (5) DELFT [T<=]
19 Lacking coach, essentially teach no kind of music (6) TECHNO {TEaCH}{NO}
21 Without anyone's help, solver... (8) YOURSELF [DD]
23 ... partially gets convoluted clue without second-guessing setter, conundrum finally grasped, basically fills a square containing next seed? (4,4) GERM CELL {GEts}R{c...uM}{CLuE*}L Anno for R and L pending. (Addendum - {GEts}(s...eR{c...uM}{CLuE*}{fiLls} - See comments) Can this get more convoluted!!!
26 Screen contents of blood (6) P?A?M? (Addendum - PLASMA [DD] - See comments)
27 Rant about modern oeuvre, without regard to gamut (regularly selected) of early 20th-Century paintings (3,7) ART NOUVEAU {RANT*}{OEUVre*}{gAmUt}
DOWN
1 Messy crude science without substance about revolutionary quark (4,6) CURD CHEESE {CRUDE+Sc...cE}* over {CHE}
2 Outpouring of grief — milieu ultimately engulfed in escalating pandemonium (8) EFFUSION {oF}{g..eF}{m...eU} in {NOISE<=}
3 Issue a sharp report (like a pig or a rat perhaps) (6) SQUEAL [DD]
4 Information found at app stores (4) DATA [T]
5 Proud parrot, chanter in essence, absorbing song at last (8) ARROGANT {pARROt+chANTer} over {sonG}
6 Runs topless out of an old hood, not wearing shoes (6) UNSHOD {rUNS}{HOoD}
7 Young women raising plant — waste? (4) SLAG<=
13 Foolish old one that means to waste time along with dally (5) DILLY [DD?]
15 Tribute that may be paid to court? (10) COMPLIMENT (~complement)
17 Pair of French buns sent back unwrapped by Masterchef's first food channel? (8) DUODENUM {DUO}{DE}{bUNs<=}{Ma...f}
18 Abort Mission Impossible right in the middle of frightening... (8) MISCARRY {MI}{SCA{R}RY}
20 ... kind of hostage situation — CIA counter-terrorism bureau reach, finally retreating (6) HUMANE Tail Acrostic<=
22 Peacekeepers advertise: "Relax!" (6) UNPLUG {UN}{PLUG}
24 To some extent, fear none, get rich (4) EARN [T]
25 Invented German song (4) LIED [DD]
Reference List
Saint = ST, Old = O, Of in French = DE, Right = R
26 A solved, let other people try
ReplyDelete23a setteR fi(l)ls
ReplyDeleteuff!
DeleteHe said a Huff I took a Puff (breakfast one)
DeleteIt was pretty rough!
DeleteAll of you have become word ploughers!!
Delete@vasant
DeleteI don't eat the rough's.
It had only dough and half a germ seed of chicken.
9a contrives:wrangles
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteCol. has said it all in his opening :-)
ReplyDelete3d is a DD, squeal is to rat out to police.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rangoli by Gowri.
ReplyDeleteWe have at least a good Rangoli to enjoy today!
DeleteThanks Colonel. After reading your opening comments, didn't venture further.
ReplyDeleteSome setters tend to forget the surface and think that being cryptically correct is enough. Result? Disaster. Col. had cited 23A as a typical example. One is lost in the surface! Surface must not only be meaningful but have a touch of humour,wherever possible, bringing on a smile or two. That makes solving enjoyable, not a chore to be attended to.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteReally?!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't fot in "this crossword".
DeleteHilarious. But I solved it fully except EDMURE including the convoluted parsing. Guess I need my head examined. 🙂
ReplyDelete23A might get first prize in nonsensical essay writing. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteAfter a l9ng time!
DeleteAiyyo lol
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. This is surprisingly WrdPlougher's 25th grid for The Hindu. And I wanted to thank the respectable Colonel, veterans, and every sepoy on this blog for having solved these grids (successfully, or by cheating), and given me feedback (constructive and destructive) over these many months.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoy setting, and over time my passion for writing creative and cryptic clues has only grown. Alongside, so has my commitment to pleasing my coy audience and earning everyone's begrudging blessings. I believe I have made discernible if hazy progress on this front, and hope to plough on, making you all at times scratch your head and, at others, think about having it examined. As I too often do (about my own).
Thank you again and here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2023 with a nonsensical haiku!
WrPlougher essays
To turn brickbats and headaches
Into fresh bouquets
I am sorry to state you have not made any progress and generally your Crosswords are not up to the mark as expected for publication in a National daily. You have not taken into account the various suggestions and criticisms made her by various commenters. Flowery language will not offset the poor standard of the clues.
DeleteBy the way nobody is a 'sepoy' here we are all in the same grade.
I eagerly expected, on noticing your response, only to be disappointed. At least you might have made your views known for some of the points raised by us. On the other hand you ay that you will continue in the same vein.
ReplyDelete