ACROSS
1 Slice of lemon in fresh iced tea, exquisite (8) DELICATE {Le..n} in {ICED+TEA}*
5 Losing heart, cries and goes away (6) SCRAMS SCReAMS
10 Cutting skin, Dr. X reviewed bone (5) FEMUR {F{ME<=}UR}
11 Vague report about restricting nuclear capacity (9) DIMENSION {DIM}{NOIS{N}E<=}
12 Important event in case with trace of opium found in store (9) MILESTONE {MI{LEST}{Op..m}NE}
13 Right, head back east on river - message received and understood (5) ROGER {R}{GO<=}{E}{R}
14 Dynamic on stage, no ordinary performers (6) AGENTS {oN+STAGE}*
15 Crazy person with gun abducting boy after commotion (7) DINGBAT {{G{B}AT}<=>{DIN}
18 Bag in small rustic chalet (7) SATCHEL {S}{CHALET*}
24 Feeling smitten, one nervously expresses love (9) SENTIMENT {SMITTEN+oNE}*
25 Member, miserable after cocaine withdrawal (5-4) CLIMB-DOWN {LIMB}{DOWN}<=>{C}
26 Recalled article about character making money in Africa (5) NAIRA {A{AIR}N<=}
28 Extremely nice fun, cuddling one girl in nightdress (8) NEGLIGEE {NicE}{GL{1}{G}EE}
DOWN
1 Lady nails English fellow for slander (6) DEFAME {D{E}{F}AME}
2 Falsehood about maiden entertaining celebrity (9) LIMELIGHT {LI{M}E}{LIGHT}
3 One's resources freely revealed by dummy (5,2,3,5) CARDS ON THE TABLE [DD]
4 Working outside is tiresome (7) TEDIOUS*
6 Hostile cheat thrashed for deceit finally in public (15) CONFRONTATIONAL {CON}{FOR*}{N{d...iT}ATIONAL}
7 Mocking chap in gaudy clothes (5) APING [T]
8 Spanish miss wandering in a store (8) SENORITA*
9 Threaten rascal with ruin (6) IMPEND {IMP}{END}
16 Guide controls most unpleasant European squabbling (9) BICKERING {B{ICKy}{E}RING}
17 Old crafts returned with fish and crustacean (8) OSTRACOD {O}{ARTS<=}{COD}
20 Intended to arrest nationalist in capital (7) FINANCE {FI{N}ANCE}
21 Calm a kid (2,4) AT EASE {A}{TEASE}
23 Wait to pick up a little ring for wife (5) BRIDE {B{Ring}IDE}
Reference List
Nuclear = N, Rifgt = R, East = E, River = R, Ordinary = O, Boy = B, Small = S, Fine = F, North = N, Sailor = AB, Cocaine = C, Physical educaion = PE, Girl = G, English = E, Fellow = F, Maiden = M, European = E, Old = O, Nationalist = N
Thumbs up all the way!!
ReplyDeleteTight puzzle.
ReplyDeleteDoctor is in operation today(10A). Husband and wife missing in gird.
ReplyDeleteohhhh. Husband is missing.
DeleteDr.X puts us at ease, not confrontational at all. He is no dingbut, he puts his cards on the table and it is no tedious job reading them.
ReplyDeletetypo= read as dingbat
ReplyDeleteThe IMPENDING issue was over. The TEDIOUS CONFRONTATIONAL discussions had come to an end.
ReplyDeleteVladimir had placed all his CARDS ON THE TABLE. Was now totally AT EASE.
With the available FINANCE he was hoping to take Olive as his BRIDE.
He CLIMBED DOWN the stairs and saw Olive in a black NEGLIGEE.
What happened next?
In 11a, is report = noise and in 12A, store = mine. Can somebody clarify?
ReplyDeleteYes for both. They say report of a gun.
ReplyDeleteMine is a store of ore.
Thanks, sir ji.
DeleteReport means rumour which also means noise.
DeleteThough not my favorite puzzle from the setter, it was easy to solve 100% as the cluing was fair.
ReplyDeleteRe: 11A, Chambers lists "dimensions" (plural) as a synonym for "capacity". However, it does not list "dimension" (singular).
12A {MI{LEST}{O}NE} had amazing wordplay, but in the surface reading it was strange to think about an event being inside a case! Perhaps a thought experiment a la Schroedinger's cat's unobserved probabilistic demise in a box with poison.
A couple of stray link-words were found, which did not contribute to either definition or wordplay - "on" in 13A was a strange word to use to link components of an Across clue; and the word "in" in 20D and 22A which followed the "[Wordplay] in [Definition]" syntax.
Nevertheless, the wordplay for 20D {FI{N}ANCE} was outstanding ("intended to arrest nationalist"). Some brilliant, simple and entertaining surfaces were used in 6D ("Hostile cheat thrashed for deceit finally in public") and 8D ("Spanish miss wandering in store").
6D {CON}{FRO*}{N{T}ATIONAL} was the Dr. X "Brain-bender" of the day, with the anagram component cleverly using the common word "for".
Usually the doctor has at least 2-4 long idioms crossing the grid. Today, however, 3D CARDS ON THE TABLE [DD] was the only idiomatic phrase (apart from 21D AT EASE, also DD).
Was "rustic" a fair anagram indicator in 18A? It fit in well with the "chalet" part of the anagram fodder. However it feels rather passive of an adjective to indicate reshuffling.
I didn't understand your comment on 13A about using "on" as a link word "of an Across" clue. Is it a setter's thing? Please explain.
DeleteIn 13A the wordplay is: "Right, head back east on river"
DeleteRight = R
Head back = OG<=
East = E
River = R
In a Down clue, it would be natural to say that the {R}{OG<=}{E} part is "on" the {R}. As it is an Across clue, it would be more appropriate to say that the {R}{OG<=}{E} is "next to" the {R}. So, something like "Right, head back east by river".
Ok. Thanks.
DeleteLike dingbats🙂
DeleteCASE has other meanings than container! Case is an incident or set of circumstances under official investigation by the police. Have you not heard of a murder case?
DeleteI see no issue with Defn in WP or WP in Defn.
Rustic also means awkward, roughly made. (If reference is needed, it is listed as anagram indicator in Chambers Crossword Dictionary)
Dimensions as plural would mean Capacity, I agree. My error.
Re: CASE, in that case I feel the surface reading has something missing. In case of what? If we think of "case" as in conditionality, what is the relevance of it to the surface reading of the clue?
Delete12 Important event in case with trace of opium found in store (9)
On also means beside or close to. For eg. Village on the sea, Henley-on-Thames. This does not mean Village is behind/before/above/below the sea. Or that Henley is behind/before/above/below Thames. It means Beside or close to.
ReplyDeleteON is juxtaposition indicator works in both Across and Down either way. Read AZED's link below on juxtaposition indicators below. ON is listed as working either way in both Across and Down clues.
http://www.clueclinic.com/index.php/juxtaposition-indicators/
Having said the above, A on B in my clues is always A+B, Across or Down.
DeleteThank you Mr. Nabar. Spot 'on'!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your detailed comments Doctor. I shall go through the link you have shared.
ReplyDelete