Solution to 28A 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 Find a husband for someone close to family visiting from far away (5,3) MARRY OFF {f...lY} in {FROM+FAR}*
6 Jam with band covering Queen (6) SQUASH {S{QU}ASH}
9 In Austria, yes, on 100K hike (4) JACK {JA}{C}{K}
10 Country in a seizure, essentially? Somehow bear the start of a new year (10) AZERBAIJAN {A{seiZure}{BEAR*}{1 JAN}
12 Talked about depressed dawdler (8) SLOWPOKE {S{LOW}POKE}
13 He is a Cockney — perhaps mangles "H" in "hurricane"? (10) ENGLISHMAN {MANGLES+H+IN}*
15 Periodically edged, ... and finally gone (4) DEAD {eDgEd+AnD}
17 Describe a nation's pulse (4) BEAN [T]
18 Criticize judge as well as peculiar, pompous official (10) PANJANDRUM {PAN}{J}{AND}{RUM}
20 One challenging journey, originally inspired by October revolution (8) OBJECTOR {Jo...y} in {OCTOBER}*
22 Chatterbox-like boy suppressed by muzzle (6) GASBAG {G{AS}{B}AG}
24 Sharp and stylish, this lungi worn by husband fellow (10) (Clue corrected by Gussalufz) INSIGHTFUL {THIS+LUNGI}* over {F}
26 Is, say, extra large? (4) EGOS {EG}{OS}
27 Country takes a long time for customs (6) USAGES {US}{AGES}
28 Drove away, releasing pressure, for a hundred — did well (8) E?C?L?E? (Addendum - EXCELLED EX(-p+c)CELLED - See comments)
DOWN
2 Weapon placed under an id that is easily read (2,1,6) AT A GLANCE {LANCE}<=>{A}{TAG}
3 Stopped; no byes collected (5) RAKED bRAKED
4 Wild animals snore freely after drinking a gallon (7) ONAGERS {ON{A}{G}ERS*}
7 University rioting ended with apprehension of troublemaker on the loose (9) UNIMPEDED {U}{N{IMP}EDED*}
8 Track down second lecture (5) STALK {S}{TALK}
12 Halfback dashed convention (7) SEMINAR {SEMI}{RAN<=}
14 Continuing with short underwear? No good (9) LINGERING {LINGERIe}{N}{G}
16 Superior U-Boat designed to go through tricky cave (1,3,5) A CUT ABOVE {U BOAT}* in {CAVE}*
18 Quietly desires flings (7) PITCHES {P}{ITCHES}
19 Like a gem covered in orange lichens (7) ANGELIC [T]
21 Start to bury a person's remains (5) BONES {Bury}{ONES}
23 Investing a bit of money in market makes sense (5) SMELL {S{Mo..y}ELL}
25 No friend, and 5? I too (3) FOE [GK?] (Addendum - F(-i+o)OE - See comments)
Reference List
Queen = QU, Yes in Austrian = JA, 100 = C, Judge = J, Peculiar = RUM, Boy = B, Fellow = F, Extra large = OS, Pressure = P, Byes = B, Gallon = G, University = U, Second = S, No =N, Good = G, Quietly = P
25 5 is fie. I to o
ReplyDeleteToo split as to & o. Nice one.
Delete28 A dd well - excelled
ReplyDeleteDrove away - expelled
Releasing pressure - (-p)
For a hundred - (+c)
Did* well
DeleteYou did well!
DeleteSplendid!
Delete+1
Delete1a and 10a anno typos!
ReplyDelete1A seems to be right.
Delete10A I to be added- Start of a new year is 1 Jan.
No, Paddy. Y is not part of anagram in 1AC
DeleteYou mean Y visiting (From far)*?
Delete{y} in {from far}*
DeleteDelectable as ever. Thank you for bringing back memories of the old fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteIt is not is but I's ( I is the ego). Probably I'm would be easier but wont go with the surface.
ReplyDeleteI itself is ego.
ReplyDeleteLoved the grid. MARRY OFF, BEAN, RAKED, SMELL, A CUT ABOVE were a few favs. Thanks Gussalufz and Col.
ReplyDeleteAnno for 10A is missing the wordplay for 'I'. I think it should be
A + sei(Z)ure + BEAN* + I JAN (beginning of year is I Jan or 1st Jan)
Thanks! I was quite satisfied with SMELL, indeed
DeleteMany thanks to all solvers and to the Col. for the blog. Apologies for the error in 24a that will live forever in the print edition. Here are my notes for this crossword (will split into two parts to try and avoid getting marked as spam).
ReplyDeleteNotes
This puzzle's theme is the old fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.
Some of the thematic entries come straight out of the famous verse from that story (shown in uppercase below):
Fee-FI-FO-fum!
I SMELL the blood of an ENGLISHMAN.
Be he alive, or be he DEAD,
I'll grind his BONES to make my bread.
The three-letter entry, FOE, is clued in terms of the other, very similar three-letter entry, FIE. These two thematic entries are not quite the same as in the verse, but close enough.
Additionally, JACK, BEAN, and STALK are thematic entries too. Finally, GIANT makes an appearance as a nina, running across the sixth row from the bottom.
This puzzle, like a lot of my puzzles, is a pangram. But quite unlike most of my puzzles, this one happens to have five occurrences of the letter J! A freak coincidence (nicely thematic though, as J = Jack), but one that made me work harder when clueing!
I had made a mistake in this crossword. 24 Across used the word "husband" instead of "fellow," which would not have worked.
Personal notes
DeleteIt's been a long, cold, wet winter here in California, but spring is finally breaking through now. The first blossom has appeared on the cherry tree that we planted last year. The finches are back too, trying to revive their successful nest from last year.
In line with the long dreary winter, the world at large seems to be plodding through a long dreary era compounded by all kinds of dunderheads in all kinds of leadership positions, quite reaffirming Douglas Adams's suspicion that we "... made a big mistake coming down from the trees in the first place."
....mmmm We are not worried much about winter here in South India. In fact it is the only season when we have some respite from hot summer. Winter is as much welcome here as summer is for you. In my younger days, whenever I read about people rejoicing in summer and welcoming it, I just could not understand the phenomenon- until I travelled west and enjoyed/ suffered.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Chennai, I used to feel "9-months hotter; 3-months hottest"!
DeleteI don't think you are still far from it.
ReplyDeleteNo, Hyderabad is certainly cool from October till Feb. Hottest months could be only april-may
DeleteSame here KKR
DeleteA fantastic crossword puzzle from Gussalufz. Each clue a gem. Took time to solve, but it was worth the effort. Keep us guessing Gussalufz. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle. Me too took time. but solved. ENGLISH MAN, MARRY OFF, AZERBAIJAN - nice clues.
ReplyDeleteThanx Viresh!