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.
Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.
ACROSS
1 Smash cage (5) POUND [DD]
4 Secure shares in return (5) STRAP<=
11 Expert democrats working out of DC (7) MAESTRO dEMOcRATS*
12 Pure evil expression of hesitation while entering Church (7) SINCERE {SIN}{C{ER}E}
13 Noise in family gatherings initially (5) CLANG {CLAN}{Ga...s}
14 Thriving fans dressed like this to watch Barbie? (2,3,4) IN THE PINK [DD]
15 Flaunting his gown (7,3) SHOWING OFF {HIS+GOWN}* [RA]
17 Raised money sacking associate (4) BRED BREaD
19 Trend created using love for article (4) MODE M(-a+o)ODE
21 Uncle's muscle game, according to Spooner (10) PAWNBROKER (~brawn poker to pawnbroker)
25 "Love isn't complicated", point authors (9) NOVELISTS {LOVE+ISNT}*{S}
27 Picture book of a lake behind (5) ALBUM {A}{L}{BUM}
28 He's possibly concerned with separating Desh and Darbar (4,3) R?R? G?S (Addendum - RARE GAS {RA{RE}GAS} - See comments)
29 A French academician sadly died alone (7) UNAIDED {UN}{A}{DIED*}
DOWN
6 Studio where I let art displays on the counter (7) ATELIER [T<=]
7 Son ridicules loose fitting garments (6) SMOCKS {S}{MOCKS}
8 Dreadfully angry about opposition leader greeting ethnic minority (8) ROHINGYA {R{Op...n}{HI}NGYA*}
9 Basically pronounced somewhat surreptitiously to alert (4) PSST Acrostic &lit
10 Pointed and looked at the audience (6) PEAKED (~peeked)
18 How to get for eg. a fracture? (8) BREAKAGE {EG+A}* [RA]
19 Reports say Bitcoin creators are younger teens (6) MINORS (~miners)
20 Mixed biryani ultimately served hot (7) DIVERSE {b...nI}{SERVED*}
23 Solution left around me and you initially (6) REMEDY {RE{ME}D}{You}
24 His call to young India often ends in catchphrase (6) SLOGAN Tail Acrostic
26 School party left by British band (4) SASH {S}{bASH}
Reference List
Church = CE, Associate = A, Point = S, Lake = L, A in French = UN, Academician = A, Amateur = A, Indian = I, English = E, Son = S, School = S
The grid totally put me off.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The grid splits neatly into 4 islands with minimal connectivity. At least the top-left and bottom-right corners had 2 connections - the top-right and bottom-left corners had only one connection. Additionally there were also some 5-letter words at the top- and bottom-edges which had only 2 checks (1A, 4A, 30A, 31A). While the cluing was clever, the grid design could have been better.
Delete28a is there a typo in the clue!
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. Although it could have been rephrased to minimize ambiguity as to the definition.
DeleteNo ambiguity. Perfect clue.
Delete28a - rare gas. Def: He - helium . Desh & darbar - Ragas + concerned-with - re ("separating" ragas) . Ra(re) gas
DeleteNot uncertainly. Perfect!
DeleteExcellent most certainly. No novice, I should think
DeleteUncertainly yours. You are certainly promoted to the regulars list
DeleteAre Darbar and Darbari same or different Ragas.
DeleteApt promotion Col. Well solved Certainly Yours!
DeleteAs a nitpick, the only ambiguity I would resolve in the clue is a grammatical one. The adverb "possibly" as a cryptic indicator applies to the definition "He" and not to the wordplay "concerned with" (=RE) so the clue ought to be rephrased as:
DeleteHe possibly is concerned with separating Desh and Darbar (4,3)
If we take it the other way there is ambiguity as to what "possibly" as an adverb is referencing (it is next to 'concerning' not 'He'):
He is possibly concerned with separating Desh and Darbar (4,3)
Thanks Col. for your kind gesture. Humbled by this!
Delete@sree sree Darbar is a raga in carnatic music system. So is Desh. There's another raga called darbari kannada which is also called as darbari in some places
DeleteSo technically no typo in the clue.
18A The '.' in the surface distracted me. I was taking it as BREAK and attempting anno.
ReplyDeleteThere is no 18A
Deletesorry. it is 18D.
DeleteI will post a special by KKR at 12 Noon. Same rules as for Sunday specials will apply
ReplyDeleteHypatia is a master of misdirection in clue-writing. There were a few instances when I found myself staring for too long at the wrong part of the clue before realizing the important part was on the other side.
ReplyDeleteThe setter seems to be committed to including at least 1 Indian word in each edition. Today it was VEENA and KABADDI. Yesterday it was MOOLI. Last month I recall TELUGU was in her 100th grid.
The theme of current affairs and pop-culture continues, with references to ROHINGYA and Barbie, while another common thread in Hypatia puzzles seems to be internet culture (spotted Bitcoin and TINDER today, while I recall the name of a very naughty website featured in last month's Hypatia clues).
4A STRAP<= was a good pure-reversal type of clue. "Uncle" as definition for PAWNBROKER in 21A was interesting. KABIR as "Doha writer" in 22D was superb. Hypatia's homophone and spoonerism clues are usually quite good, though I was surprised by "at the audience" as the HP indicator in 10A (it works after thinking about it for a while). I wish other setters like Dr. X would use HP and Spoonerism type clues more frequently.
Of the 2 RA type clues, 15A was fine, but 18D was ver so inscrutable whilst being technically correct. I wonder what Prasad thinks about this one - I think I have one or two ideas!
I welcome/appreciate the Indianisation!
DeleteI have a technical problem! Eg is for example. So i dont know whats "for" doing in the clue.
DeleteHow to get, is a clear instruction for RA.
How to get x to be y.
How to get, for example,a fracture.
I loved the clues for 28A: RARE GAS and 22D: KABADDI. Both led to aha! moments. "Doha writer" was particularly brilliant. Thank you, Hypatia.
ReplyDeleteFrom elsewhere
ReplyDeleteVictor, on top, too much for city?
Enu (7)
Delete