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Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.
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<=}
11 Wanting strong spotlight over finest sea animal (7) OCTOPUS {fOCUS} over{TOP}
13 Adjusting mask, thief 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 if female 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
My first thought upon seeing Dr. X above the crossword: "thank God!"
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
DeleteIt 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
26a - enlist; anagram of line & st (street)
ReplyDelete14a - once in a while; anag of on, wine & ichael (Michael minus M)
ReplyDelete16d - aggrieve; anag of rage & give (gives minus s)
ReplyDelete18a - give me a break; a direct one
ReplyDeleteYour 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).
Delete10a - hauteur; h (start of hurt) + auteur
ReplyDelete27a as I see it from anagram of easiest +if-f
ReplyDeleteUncertainly yours & Brajesh= it will be better if def. is also mentioned along with wp
ReplyDelete13a makeshift from anagram of thief and mask
ReplyDelete11a OC(TOP)US = sea animal: spotlight=focus, wanting strong=> remove F; finest => top
ReplyDelete21a (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.
👌 Good solves
Delete20D - (LA <=)(TEST)
ReplyDeletedef - Most recent
ordeal - TEST
gangster - AL ; returned = LA
8d ROSETTES - flower shaped decorations
ReplyDeletearranged - set
{set} in {store*}
2a MATIER: more intimate
ReplyDeleteRAM: drive
Drive back is MAR
TIE: couple
MA(TIE)R
MATIER is 5a, not 2a
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete24Ac EFFENDI – {END} in{FIEF*}
ReplyDeleteDefinition – Old Turkish official = EFFENDI; abandoned FIEF accepting doom i.e END
9 Relatives urge to take right move, upset after dispute over unfinished project (4,2,8)
ReplyDeleteAnnotation: {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!
+1
DeleteGOOD SOLVE +2
Delete9D relatives - kin
ReplyDeleteUrge - 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
After being kidnapped UNCONTROLLED RAGE GIVES ENDLESS DISTRESS to Vladimir. He has TROUBLE CONTROLLING OXYGEN FLOW.
ReplyDeleteHe 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?
7 dn implicit -complete
ReplyDeleteimp-rogue.
lit -drunk.club-c island-i
imp li(c) (i)t
24A. END (doom) inside anagram of "fief" = EFFENDI = old Turkish official
ReplyDelete1d EXHUME: unearth
ReplyDeleteEX: old (HUM: drone) E: base
1A oriental - e
ReplyDeleteTop - cap
Picked up by exotic miss*
E(s(cap)ism)
FANCY - ESCAPISM
Typo it is PSEUDONYM
ReplyDelete15D W(E)ARINESS = fatigue
ReplyDelete12a MUSED = Pondered
ReplyDeleteMD =doctor
USE = operation
Conducting contain. Indicator
9D repeated twice. Hence, 6D taken as substitute
ReplyDelete6D - (A)(N)(TES<==)
Def. Stake
Nervous at first - N
after a - A
group - SET raised ----TES
stakes = ANTES
17D memorable = EVENTFUL
ReplyDeletetime - t
Fellow - f
In fantastic(anagrind) venue*
By lake(l)
(EVEN(T)(F)U)(L)
19D, aroused = aflame
ReplyDeleteA Celebrity = A fame
[A f (l) ame ], lady (l) cuddled by a Celebrity.
25a, Cheer = [El(e)(v)ate]
ReplyDeleteDelight = Elate
Victory = v
Bit of effort = e
2d, flow = [c(o)urse]
ReplyDeleteTrouble = curse
Oxygen = o
25A ELEVATE meaning Cheer. delight = elate. V from victory and last e ar the end from bit of effort
ReplyDelete23a, below = infra, (T)
ReplyDeleteBenjamIN FRA nklin
22d, grunts = Oinks
ReplyDeleteBar = T
STINKO - T = SINKO*
11A- Octopus- OC(TOP)US- Sea animal
ReplyDeleteFinest- Top
Wanting strong spotlight= Focus- F= Ocus
Over is container indicator.
3D avoiding husband(- h)
ReplyDeleteslyly(anagrind)
(Nymho used - h) * =
False name = PSEUDONYM
Thank you Col for the nice blog.
ReplyDelete9D- What a work in progress!
yes. it's really well. all substitution like maths. Thank you Col.sir & Dr X for Friday's special
Delete