Solution to 13A 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.
OOF!!
ACROSS
6 Decides to retreat, abducting a gutless gendarme in front of Nazi police (7) GESTAPO {OP{A}TS<=}<=>{Ge...mE}
7 Dreamy seductress from third-world country chasing success, exempt from tax (7) SUCCUBA {CUBA}<=>{SUCcess}
9 Reveal bad pun about Indonesia (5) UNRIP {UN{RI}P*} RI/Republic of Indonesia?
10 Negotiate (initially indifferent about rent) even... (9) INTERVENE {In...t}{RENT+EVEN}*
11 ... harsher tenancy regulations on peasants, at first returning hectares upfront for nominal sum (7) HAPORTH {Ha...r}{Te...y}{Re...s}{On}{Pe...s}<=>{HA}
13 Beautiful Greek buildings (not astonishing) essentially following architect's principle (6) ?D?N?S (Addendum - ADONIS {b..lDi..s}{nOt}{astoNIShing}<=>{Ar...t} - See comments)
15 Helping to break even oaths, promising lovers from the heart, chasing females inside - appalling to see in cricket club (4-9) COST-EFFECTIVE {oaThs}{p..mIs..g}{loVErs} after{C{OSTE{F}{F}E*}C} Will give a prize to anyone who can make this clue more convoluted than this!!
19 Floating on a plank? (6) ABOARD {A}{BOARD}
20 Wine, no doubt, starting to ferment inside, extremely easy to turn into water (7) LIQUEFY {LIQUor}{Ea{Fe...t}sY}
23 Non-regular actor, one boring dry leading man (9) PATRIARCH {P{AcToR}{I}ARCH}
24 Not at scene of crime, perhaps bailed out one missing journalist (5) ALIBI {BAILed}*{1}
26 Nobleman barely smart, lacking shame, somehow squeamish (7) MARQUIS {sMARt}{SQUeamIsh}*
27 Runs (actively, regularly) nearby school (7) NURSERY {RUNS*}{nEaRbY}
DOWN
1 Tycoon beginning to trade stocks and essentially sharing (4) TSAR {Tr..e}{St...s}{And}{shaRing}
2 One tenting temporarily in beaches mainly & missing sand (6) CAMPER {beaChes}{AMPERsand}
3 "Eat quickly! Cut-up headless fish no longer fresh!" (6,3) POLISH OFF {LOP<=}{fISH}{OFF}
4 Authorise heads of COVID committee to enter ward, rejecting outsiders, ahead of rising wave (8) ACCREDIT {wA{Co..d}{Co...e}Rd}{TIDE<=}
5 Short of time, desperately renovates U.P., displaying bright lights up high (10) SUPERNOVAE {RENOVAtES}* over {UP}
8 Opposed state's by-election to begin with (6) AVERSE {AVER'S}{El...n}
12 Primarily not agile, pulling super hero uniform finally over cape (10) PROMONTORY {P{s..eR}{herO}{u...rM}{NOT*}{O}RY} Not sure of Anno (Addendum - {sPRY} over {s..eR}{herO}{u...rM}{ONTO} - See comments)
14 Spooner's defeat bound to be a way of saying hello? (9) CELLPHONE (~ fell sworn to cellphone)
16 Stop time in America (8) TERMINUS {TERM}{IN}{US}
21 Bay filled with remora, primarily twice the prey (6) QUARRY {QUA{Re...a}{Re...a}Y}
22 One's bizarre skills (4) ARTS {TSAR}*
25 Nearly the best impression (4) IDEA IDEAl
Reference List
Hectare = HA, Journalist = ED, Time = T, Universal = U, Champion = CH, Over = ONTO
12d agile:spry -s
ReplyDeleteOver:on to
P (r.o.m)(on to)ry
DeleteThen what's the role of 'not agile'?
DeleteAgile is spry. "Primarily not" indicating to delete start.
DeleteHats off to Col.!!!
ReplyDeleteVladimirs PATIENCE was about to DESERT him!
ReplyDeleteThe NAIAD, whom he had glimpsed thru the BANISTER
was nowhere to be seen.
Drunk on MOONSHINE & dancing ON HIS TOES to the OCTET's tunes;
his DAY TRIP was about to end!
Imagine his DISTRESS, when he woke up the next day,
to the OBSCUREST of scenes!
He was lying beside a DEAD BODY, of an OLD MAID,
wearing a beautiful
EMBROIDERED HINDUSTANI lehenga!!!
He knew it was a bad OMEN & no TESTATE could save him!
After all he had administered UNANI medicine for her TOAD STOOL allergy!
What happened next?
(From ydays solution words)
Bhargav Sir! Kindly excuse the stealing of ur idea & the audacity to write a long verse in place of a short limerick!!
ReplyDelete😊
Enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteWas the COST-EFFECTIVE solution a fiasco? Vladimir wondered if he should look for an ALIBI.
ReplyDeleteAnd just then his CELLPHONE rang. He had no IDEA of the caller as an unknown number was displayed.
Was it from the GESTAPO?
Was he going to be UNRIPPED?
He took the call. And guess what? It was MARQUIS St. Evremonde on the line.
Marquis St. Evremonde?
What happened next?
All of u! Can thank me for bringing Bhargav Sir into the blog. 😊
ReplyDeleteWhen he saw that not only was his idea being stolen, but substandard stuff written - passing off for poetry - he has come back with vengeance. And here to stay!
Welcome Sir!!
Thanks Gowri...welcome CGB sir
Delete+1
Delete+2
DeleteContinuing my earlier tale (idhu Vera Vladimir)
ReplyDeleteFor starters Vladimir discovered,
The woman was no old maid!
She was a SUCCUBA, who had been simultaneously involved with a TSAR & MARQUIS - the PATRIARCH ART dealer, famous for UNRIPPING the nobility. He had been ACCREDITED with many recent scams.
As his CELL PHONE was seized & he was taken into custody by the GESTAPO, he discovered that his nymph was actually a German.
He tried explaining to them that she had POLISHED OFF the Toad Stool table decoration (mistaking it for a dessert) to SATE her hunger.
She was, immediately, so violently sick that he had to INTERVENE, even though he was AVERSE to getting ABOARD.
Working on his COST EFFECTIVE IDEA, he had LIQUIFIED some Unani medicine (obtained from the nearby NURSERY) & forced her to drink the same!
As he had no other ALIBI, he was detained for 2 full days.
Then without explanation, he was dropped off at the TERMINUS near the QUARRY.
What happened next?
13 a, beautiful Greek = Adonis
ReplyDeleteArchitecture = A
Principle = do
Astonishing essentially = nis
nis is following A do,
hence, Adonis
Nope
DeleteIs the solution wrong or only parsing?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOnly parsing
DeleteArchitecture - A
DeletePrinciple - D (octrine)
Not essentially - O
Astonishing essentially - NIS
ADONIS - beautiful Greek.
Na.
Delete13A-Adonis-beautiful greek; Architect's principle-A; builDings, nOt, astoNIShing-essentially;
DeleteYes. Correct.
DeleteBut it should be Principal then. Not principle?
DeleteSridhar is still novice!
Delete@ Prasad ???
DeleteIs Sridhars solution correct?
Is principle correct?
Yes to both
DeleteArchitects principle is A?
DeleteHow?
DeleteYes
DeleteIsn't it principal?
DeleteSorry if I gave the answer out of turn! I thought Gowri was also not a novice! Principle means basis -which can indicate first letter of architect.
DeleteI would prefer principle/ basis to be the core (central letter) rather than first letter. Anyway, opinion differs. Principal would be the top/ first letter.
DeleteAm sorry. I thought after 11 it is open to all.
DeleteSorry! Sridhar - for misleading u. 😊
No problem-not your fault!
DeleteVery good solve!!
ReplyDeleteOr is doubt?
ReplyDeleteWe have gone through this before. He is just trying to justify all setters- if at all possible!!
ReplyDeleteA terrible terrible day for me. Spoilt my siesta.
ReplyDeleteIt was so terrible that I simply took the solutions from the blog & had fun with Vladimir.
DeleteFirst time - no attempt to try & solve. It is beyond me.
Took two hours to solve. I did not want to let go.
ReplyDelete👏
Delete