Solution to 27A 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 Down time man got in concern (7) FEATHER {FEA{T}{HE}R}
5 Live match played around Thane (7) MACBETH {MAC{BE}TH*}
9 Movie managed to show fashionable mom (4,3) RAIN MAN {RA{IN}{MA}N}
10 Closer to Sunday, shelter's wide open (7) YAWNING {s...aY}{AWNING}
11 Like old people retiring in loneliness (6) SENILE [T<=]
12 Doctor strange to entertain one most furious (8) ANGRIEST {ANGR{1}EST*}
14 Suspect fellow reserved after lunch time (5) FISHY {F} and {SHY}<=>{1}
16 Silence Spooner's soggy comic (9) CLAMPDOWN (~damp clown to clampdown)
18 They love travelling most in car (9) ROMANTICS*
19 Filled in new dates (5) SATED*
20 Boxer with others near the French riviera initially (8) WRESTLER {W}{REST}{LE}{Ri...a}
22 Text message entertaining mostly old jerks (6) SPASMS {S{PASt}MS}
26 Top soldiers wearing disheartened recruit's clothing (7) RAIMENT {A1}{MEN} in {Re...iT}
27 Stoked by family switching sides (7) K?N?L?D (Addendum - KINDLED KIND(-r+l)LED - See comments)
28 Detest rude lady eating dessert (7) STRUDEL [T]
DOWN
1 Branches supporting peak sales at last (5) FORKS {FOR}{peaK}{saleS}
3 Lost yak, tailless animal chasing herd at the top of mountain range (9) HIMALAYAN {YAk+ANIMAL}*<=>{Herd}
4 Hire 26 without purpose (4) RENT RaimENT
5 Can work in a store initially entering unit for dressing (10) MAYONNAISE {MAY}{ON{IN+A+St..e}*E}
6 Cringe when caught with debtor (5) COWER {C}{OWER}
7 Reduced excess due to diet changes (6,3) EDITED OUT*
8 Noted to become stylish (4-5) HIGH-TONED {NOTED}* [RA]
13 Casual criminal behind passport, say seized by force (10) ACCIDENTAL {AL}<=>{ACC{ID}ENT}
14 Explosives in sacks retaining charge (9) FIREWORKS {FIRE{WORK}S}
15 Waiter starting to serve more lime cocktails (9) SOMMELIER {Se..e}{MORE+LIME}*
17 Held over mail torn open by day (9) POSTPONED {POST}{OPEN*}{D}
21 Leaning right into nurse (5) TREND {T{R}END}
23 City of hot males (5) SALEM*
Reference List
Time T, Fellow = F, With = W, The in French = LE, Top = A1, Party = DO, Caught = C, Crimanal = AL(Capone), Passport, say = ID, Day = D, Right = R, American = A, Recipe = R
Though I was able to fill in with the help of wordplay, I could not get the connection between Thane & Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteThane as in Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor
DeleteMacbeth was a Thane (a feudal lord in Scotland)
Deletethane (θeɪn)
n.
1. (in Anglo-Saxon England) a person ranking between an earl and an ordinary freeman, holding land of the king or a lord in return for services.
2. (in medieval Scotland) a person holding land of the king; a baron.
Thane is a tittle. Not sure it's enough to get Macbeth
DeleteThis Thane is totally new to me. No end to learning. I knew only the Mumbai suburb and was totally at sea. Thank you Ramki.
Deletepaddy sir, I too was thinking the same. you frustrated. I ignored it due to time taken. well explained by Ramki. Thanks . nice word play.
Delete20a- Boxer & Wrestler are a class apart.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete3D- What is the function of 'Lost'?
ReplyDeleteIs it anagrind for animal?
ReplyDelete3d: Lost is the anagrind for (YA + ANIMAL)
ReplyDeleteYak, tailless gives YA
Placement of anagrind had me wondering.
DeleteOh! How I love the days of "that man" for he.
ReplyDeleteI saw hot (rolling) mill for sure.
ReplyDeleteI think it must be to pick just B from Birthday.
ReplyDeleteLittle/a bit
ReplyDelete27.a
ReplyDeleteStoked by...kindled
Family...kind
Sides...led
How is led = sides? Also, what do you think is the role of 'switching' here?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeletePlease let the original commenter answer
DeleteProbably switching sides
DeleteMeans light emitting diode.
No Doctor. Think of other sides
DeleteIs it
DeleteDel means an operator used in vector analysis.(sides)(directions)
Switching...led
Nope. Think of something simpler and not so complicated.
Delete@ Prasad - u mentioned Dan Brown yday & there he is in 24dn.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete😊
DeleteNice crossword. Thrilled to finish Hypatia in a row. CLAMPDOWN - her trademark & my cod.
ReplyDeleteA SECOND LEASE
ReplyDeleteIn his heydays, Marudu Nayagam had been a district level champion WRESTLER. His HIGH TONED biceps made most opponents COWER. Belonging to the FEATHER weight category, he was always careful with his diet & exercise regime. But an ACCIDENTAL fall had put paid to his career.
Hailing from the small town of SALEM, his father was a farmer & the local RAIN MAN. Marudu was a graduate who could even recite a few verses from MACBETH, but wrestling was his passion. Till that fateful day.
On the last day of the Thiruvizha, there was a huge crowd, watching the FIREWORKS, when a stampede broke out. Somebody gutted into his ABODOMEN & he was thrown into the YAWNING dry well nearby. Waking up in a hospital, he had painful SPASMS all over, a huge RENT down his face & both his legs were fractured. The HIMALAYAN task of recuperation took several months.
When he finally, mustered the courage to look at a mirror, he saw an ALIEN face & a CLAMPED DOWN career, which his ANGRIEST self could not reKINDLE. After being POSTPONED, a few times, his name was finally EDITED OUT of the Federation & he felt SENILE in his youth.
All that was 40 years ago. He never went back to active employment. His father educated his son, a brilliant boy. An IT graduate, who ironically settled down in SALEM, USA. 2 months back, Marudu came to the US, to be with his grand children. It is here that his life changed.
Accompanying his grand daughter in her summer job, Marudu found part time work as a SOMMELIER in a restaurant. Graduating into a chef soon, his MAYONNAISE - OKRA sandwiches & STRUDEL became a TREND & soon he bought his own second hand SEDAN. Seeing the SATED faces of his customers, as they laid down their FORKS, brought out the ROMANTIC in him & he felt a renewed purpose Iin his life.
All decked up in his new RAIMENTS, as he drove with his family, to watch the July 4th parade, after a lo....ng time, he found beauty even in the FIRE WORKS display!
Gowri ma'am is back with a bang!
DeleteNice tale. A wrestler became a Master chef, his Turning point was too good.
DeleteNice story. So cooking added a feather in his cap in stead of wrestling trophies!
ReplyDelete27A - KINDLED meaning stoked. Family IS KINDRED. Switching sides refers to L(eft) replacing R(ight). Hence KIND(-R+L)ED
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete25d Annotation error?
ReplyDelete{r} in {ok+a}
Conventionally both are correct.
DeleteCol, uses interchangeably.
Technically it's R in (OK) (A).
With a host of them, a good lesson in CONTAINER/SANDWICH clues! 👏
ReplyDeleteNice one from Hypatia..My COD is 16 Ac..Her forte.
ReplyDelete