Friday 18 August 2023

No 13947, Friday 18 Aug 2023, Dr. X

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PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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ACROSS
1   Fancy oriental top picked up by exotic miss (8) ESCAPISM {E}{S{CAP}ISM*}
5   Couple in drive back getting more intimate (6) MATIER {TIE} in {RAM<=}
10 Arrogance starting to hurt influential film director (7) HAUTEUR {Hurt}{AUTEUR}
11 Wanting strong spotlight over finest sea animal (7) OCTOPUS {fOCUS} over{TOP}
12 Doctor conducting operation pondered (5) MUSED {M{USE}D}
13 Adjusting maskthief improvised (9) MAKESHIFT*
14 Tipsy on wine, Michael wastes money occasionally (4,2,1,5)  ONCE IN A WHILE {ON+WINE+mICHAEL}*
18 What overworked employee might say to boss? I don't believe it! (4,2,1,5) GIVE ME A BREAK [C&DD]
21 Delivering money after a son's cruelly abducted by gang (9) RANSOMING {M}<=>{A+SON}* in {RING} Semi&lit
23 Letters from Benjamin Franklin below (5) INFRA [T]
24 Old Turkish official abandoned fief, accepting doom (7) EFFENDI {EFF{END}I*}
25 Cheer with delight, securing victory after bit of effort (7) ELEVATE {ELATE} over {V}<=>{Ef...t}
26 Recruit in line, exercising on street (6) ENLIST {LINE*}{ST}
27 Easiest ifemale leaves rogue, in my opinion (2,1,3,2) AS I SEE IT {EASIEST+If}*

DOWN
1   Unearth drone in old base (6) EXHUME {HUM} in {EX}{E}
2   Trouble controlling oxygen flow (6) COURSE {C{O}URSE}
3   Avoiding husband slyly, nympho used false name (9)  PSEUDONYM {NYMPhO+USED}*
4   Extraordinary therapist I use to tackle onset of mental illness (5,9) SERUM HEPATITIS {THERAPIST+I+USE}* over {Me...l}
6   Nervous at first after a group raised stakes (5) ANTES {Ne...s}<=>{A} with {SET<=}
7   Complete rogue, drunk outside club on island (8) IMPLICIT {IMP}{LI{C}{I}T}
8   Flower-shaped decorations arranged in new store (8) ROSETTES {SET} in {STORE}*
9   Relatives urge to take right move, upset after dispute over unfinished project (4,2,8) WORK IN PROGRESS {KIN}{P{R}{GO<=}RESS} after {ROW<=}
15   Caution about drug for fatigue (9) WEARINESS {W{E}ARINESS}
16   Uncontrolled rage gives endless distress (8) AGGRIEVE {RAGE+GIVEs}*
17   Memorable time with fellow in fantastic venue by lake (8) EVENTFUL {T}{F} in {VENUE}* by {L}
19   Lady cuddled by a celebrity, getting aroused (6) AFLAME {A}{F{L}AME}
20   Most recent ordeal after gangster returned (6) LATEST {TEST}<=>{AL<=}
22   Grunts leaving bar, awfully stinko (5) OINKS StINKO*

Reference List
Oriental = E, Strong = F, Money = M, Money = M, Victory = V, Street = ST, Female = F, Base = E, Husband = H, Club = C, Island = I, Drug = E, Time = T, Fellow = F, Lady = L, Gangster = AL(Capone), Bar = T


43 comments:

  1. My first thought upon seeing Dr. X above the crossword: "thank God!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a setter's clinic from Dr. X, with scrupulously fair clues, entertaining surface readings (amusing characters with illicit dealings) and surgical precision with hardly an error to spot.

      It is difficult to select a favorite from so many good clues, but my pick is:

      21 Delivering money after a son's cruelly abducted by gang (9) RANSOMING

      Delete
  2. 26a - enlist; anagram of line & st (street)

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  3. 14a - once in a while; anag of on, wine & ichael (Michael minus M)

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  4. 16d - aggrieve; anag of rage & give (gives minus s)

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  5. 18a - give me a break; a direct one

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    Replies
    1. Your answer is correct. However the clue is rather indirect! See if you can spot a good annotation for it in Col's list of "annotations" (found on left column of this blog).

      Delete
  6. 10a - hauteur; h (start of hurt) + auteur

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  7. 27a as I see it from anagram of easiest +if-f

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  8. Uncertainly yours & Brajesh= it will be better if def. is also mentioned along with wp

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  9. 13a makeshift from anagram of thief and mask

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  10. 11a OC(TOP)US = sea animal: spotlight=focus, wanting strong=> remove F; finest => top

    21a (R(ANSO)(M)ING)= delivering; "a son" jumble; M from money; inside "ring" from gang
    4d SERUM HEPATITIS = disease; anagram of "therapist I use" with "m" from onset of mental.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 20D - (LA <=)(TEST)
    def - Most recent
    ordeal - TEST
    gangster - AL ; returned = LA

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  12. 8d ROSETTES - flower shaped decorations
    arranged - set
    {set} in {store*}

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  13. 2a MATIER: more intimate
    RAM: drive
    Drive back is MAR
    TIE: couple
    MA(TIE)R

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  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. 24Ac EFFENDI – {END} in{FIEF*}
    Definition – Old Turkish official = EFFENDI; abandoned FIEF accepting doom i.e END

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  16. 9 Relatives urge to take right move, upset after dispute over unfinished project (4,2,8)
    Annotation: {WOR}{KIN}{P{R}{OG}RESS}
    Definition: unfinished project
    Relatives = KIN
    Urge = PRESS
    Right = R
    Move upset = OG (GO<=)
    Dispute over = WOR (ROW<=)

    Absolute mind-bender!

    ReplyDelete
  17. 9D relatives - kin
    Urge - press
    To take(containment ind)
    Right - r
    Move(go) upset - go
    After dispute(row) over(reversal ind) - wor
    Unfinished project - (WOR)((K IN) (P(R)(OG)RESS))
    Work in progress

    ReplyDelete
  18. After being kidnapped UNCONTROLLED RAGE GIVES ENDLESS DISTRESS to Vladimir. He has TROUBLE CONTROLLING OXYGEN FLOW.

    He was NERVOUS AT FIRST AFTER (A) GROUP RAISED STAKES. He gets permission to use his phone and his RELATIVES URGE (HIM) TO TAKE RIGHT MOVE.

    He somehow manages to set himself free and reason to CHEER WITH DELIGHT, SECURING VICTORY AFTER BIT OF EFFORT.

    Walking down the street he sees the FLOWER-SHAPED DECORATIONS ARRANGED IN NEW STORE.
    What happened next?

    ReplyDelete
  19. 7 dn implicit -complete
    imp-rogue.
    lit -drunk.club-c island-i
    imp li(c) (i)t

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  20. 24A. END (doom) inside anagram of "fief" = EFFENDI = old Turkish official

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  21. 1d EXHUME: unearth
    EX: old (HUM: drone) E: base

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  22. 1A oriental - e
    Top - cap
    Picked up by exotic miss*
    E(s(cap)ism)
    FANCY - ESCAPISM

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  23. 12a MUSED = Pondered
    MD =doctor
    USE = operation
    Conducting contain. Indicator

    ReplyDelete
  24. 9D repeated twice. Hence, 6D taken as substitute
    6D - (A)(N)(TES<==)
    Def. Stake
    Nervous at first - N
    after a - A
    group - SET raised ----TES
    stakes = ANTES

    ReplyDelete
  25. 17D memorable = EVENTFUL
    time - t
    Fellow - f
    In fantastic(anagrind) venue*
    By lake(l)
    (EVEN(T)(F)U)(L)

    ReplyDelete
  26. 19D, aroused = aflame
    A Celebrity = A fame
    [A f (l) ame ], lady (l) cuddled by a Celebrity.

    ReplyDelete
  27. 25a, Cheer = [El(e)(v)ate]
    Delight = Elate
    Victory = v
    Bit of effort = e

    ReplyDelete
  28. 2d, flow = [c(o)urse]
    Trouble = curse
    Oxygen = o

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  29. 25A ELEVATE meaning Cheer. delight = elate. V from victory and last e ar the end from bit of effort

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  30. 23a, below = infra, (T)
    BenjamIN FRA nklin

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  31. 22d, grunts = Oinks
    Bar = T
    STINKO - T = SINKO*

    ReplyDelete
  32. 11A- Octopus- OC(TOP)US- Sea animal
    Finest- Top
    Wanting strong spotlight= Focus- F= Ocus
    Over is container indicator.

    ReplyDelete
  33. 3D avoiding husband(- h)
    slyly(anagrind)
    (Nymho used - h) * =
    False name = PSEUDONYM

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  34. Thank you Col for the nice blog.
    9D- What a work in progress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes. it's really well. all substitution like maths. Thank you Col.sir & Dr X for Friday's special

      Delete

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