Wednesday 8 November 2023

No 14015, Wednesday 08 Nov 2023, Incognito

Solution to 6D 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
7   Current units used in Hampshire (4) AMPS [T]
8   Lucky having strength, after consuming fish (9) FORTUNATE {FOR{TUNA}TE}
10 Spreading oils on ends of damaged hippocampi results in strokes (6) SOLIDI {OILS*}{d...eD}{h...pI}
11 Welsh leader organising parties conducts some sort of audit surveillance (8) WIRETAPS {We..h}{PARTIES*}
12 Perhaps, knight's revolutionary and elite guard member (8) CHESSMAN {CHE}{SS}{MAN}
14 Enter: Crooked protagonist throwing away strap (2,4) GO INTO prOTaGONIst*
16 Small parts of school time... (7) PERIODS [DD]
18 Leading man consumes scrambled egg in reel (7) STAGGER {STA{EGG*}R}
21 Wager about donkey turning into a dog (6) BASSET {B{ASS}ET}
23 Opening and brewing purer tea (8) APERTURE*
25 Fire non commissioned officer performing art from Spain (8) FLAMENCO {FLAME}{NCO}
27 Husband leaves — perhaps confused — to get documents (6) PAPERS PERhAPS*
29 Taking kinky thing at first, we start to romp around beginning of afternoon in pyjamas, for example (9) NIGHTWEAR {THING*}{WE}{Romp} over {Af...n}
30 Convey without speaking, "I am hugged by setter" (4) MIME {M{I`M}E}

DOWN
1   Sergeant major loves having a bit of ice in the puréed fruit drink (8) SMOOTHIE {SM}{OO}{TH{Ice}E}
2   Drink in Hastinapur (4) ASTI [T]
3   Attest, "A c'company" (6) AFFIRM {A}{F`FIRM}
4   Noisy quarrel during GIGN operation is increasing (7) GROWING {G{ROW}ING*}
5   Undisputed girth (8) OUTRIGHT {GIRTH}* [RA]
6   Road missing in preliminary version? Silly! (4) ?A?T (Addendum - DAFT DrAFT - See comments)
9   Once taking small quantity for person living outside own country (5) EXPAT {EX}{PAT}
13 Ship carrying food for secret agents (5) SPIES {S{PIE}S}
15 Indian obtained metal block (5) INGOT {IN}{GOT}
17 Explode, "Violently bayonetted, after removing tips of body!" (8) DETONATE bAyONETTED*
19 Horrible murders included initially attacking membranes in the head (8) EARDRUMS {MURDERS}* over {At...g}
20 Graduate singer rejected title (7) BARONET {BA}{TENOR<=}
22 Including everything in signalling (3,2) ALL IN [T]
24 Specialist... earlier saucy (6) EXPERT {EX}{PERT}
26 Sorcerers having some imagination (4) MAGI [T]
28 Father goes around maiden in stately display (4) POMP {PO{M}P}

Reference List
Husband = H, Sergeant Major = SM, Once = Earlier = EX, Road = R, Ship = SS, Maiden = M

16 comments:

  1. Aha moment on 6D.....made hatrick by solving unsolved clues by Incognito.......it's a tricky one and Noce WP. Thank you Kishore...........

    ReplyDelete
  2. VLADIMIRS ADVENTURES
    After successfully completing his secret mission in ADELAIDE, Vladimir flew into Moscow.

    Posing to be an ACADIAN with a Muslim mother, his ID spelt his name as IMRAN BOLT.

    On his first evening, he was invited to a Royal Costume BALL. There he saw her. Standing tall among TWENTY OTHERS. The last TSARINA Anna Sharapova. Dressed as an AVOCET. Such was her beauty, he could hardly RESPIRE. His eye sight felt IMPAIRED & his throat filled up with SPUTUM. He himself was dressed as a COAL MINE worker.

    He ENLISTED the help of his MATE and RAPIDly approached her for the next ROCK number. Who should cut his path, but Putin himself! Dressed as a PEKE - for God's sake!

    Not one to be DEFEATED easily, Vladimir switched to Plan B. EVADING Putin's OPEN GLOWERING stare, he picked up the Programme PAMPHLET. With a CRAYON, he quickly ETCHed his name (as EROS) and his phone no on the cover. Then with an APPEASING smile, he bumped into Putin & accidentally STAMPED on his foot.

    In the ensuing chaos, he served his own MANDATE, by navigating through the SEAWAY of dancers and falling straight into Anna's arms.

    At that exact moment, the next number started. Blushing a deep TOMATO red, Anna swayed to the music and matched him step for step.

    Vladimir looked up to see his mate make a Thums up / TOP UP sign.

    What happened next? Did she keep the Pamphlet?
    Only CGB knows!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 👌
      She could have been Maria Kournikova, right? 🙂

      Delete
    2. Ofcourse she could have! 😀

      Delete
    3. If his name is spelt as Bolt, he would have BOLTed away from the place very fast!!!!

      Delete
    4. Missing these ma'am. Keep penning

      Delete
    5. Nice story . The best actor would be Kamal. Coz, this story never ends. perceivied that 'with original identity vladimir's mission wont't be success'.

      Delete
  3. Got 12A from the crossings. Got the annotation from Col.'s solution.
    Another breezy grid from Incognito.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Liked chessman. Interesting!
    C'co= F'firm? Found it difficult to get (though I was able to get the solution) Not quite happy about it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 6D daft.
    Draft=preliminary version
    Draft--R(oad)=daft.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Generally, short clues could be DDs.
    But they can also be Reverse Anagrams as in 5d.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vladimir was FORTUNATE and did not STAGGER while dancing with Anna.
    He was OUTRIGHT in his conversation with her as they enjoyed the SMOOTHIE.
    Anna threw away the pamphlet.
    Let us not GO INTO too much of details.
    ALL IN ALL suffice to mention that Vladimir was last seen in
    NIGHTWEAR in the hotel King room.
    What happened next?

    ReplyDelete
  8. AFFIRMing that his PAPERS were gone along with Anna(which wasn't even her real name), he STAGGERed out feeling like a DAFT *****.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 6D DAFT reminded me of line front the movie 'Notting Hill'.

      Delete
    2. Typos: ... of a* line from*...

      Delete
  9. Thank you dear Mr. Kishore 'Incognito' Rao for making me learn a new word today from 25-A. In fact, I had to literally scratch my pate-n-nut to such an extent that I became one short of an oldie-baldie although baldness is regarded as an index of wisdom.

    ReplyDelete

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