Sunday 24 December 2023

The Sunday Crossword No 3286, Sunday 24 Dec 2023

ACROSS
1   Angler hopes for this amount of information, we're told (4) BITE (~byte)
3   Club alight: might ash be found there? (8) WOODLAND {WOOD}{LAND}
9   Last bits of Christmas cake, privately, by the coast (7) SEASIDE {c...aS}{cakE}{ASIDE}
11 Run and shove, pocketing one pound on the way back (7) PUBLISH {PU{1 LB<=}SH}
12 Sly cats at work, they cause things to change (9) CATALYSTS*
13 Ruled, showing signs of age (5) LINED [DD]
14 Book pricier option in hotel (1,4,4,1,4) A ROOM WITH A VIEW [DD]
16 Pure, holy band is playing Gershwin piece (8,2,4) RHAPSODY IN BLUE*
20 Removed middle section of electrical flex from speaker (5) CORED (~cord)
22 Soldiers given orders to go around duck (9) COMMANDOS {COMMAND{O}S}
23 Couple eating last of cracker that is plain (7) PRAIRIE {P{c...eR}AIR}{IE}
24 Starters of rice in stock, oregano to taste, onion ...? (7) RISOTTO Acrostic &lit
25 In large part, admitting two poor grades with unassuming manner (8) MODESTLY {MO{D}{E}STLY}
26 Gradually move back, say, adder regularly sidestepped (4) EDGE {EG}{aDdEr}<=

DOWN
1   'ABCs' is, put another way ...? (6) BASICS &lit
2   Display exuberant paintings etc, stuck up in eatery (9) TRATTORIA {AIR}{OTT}{ART}<=
4   Part of layover's awfully managed (7) OVERSAW [T]
5   Put down dopiest oddball (7) DEPOSIT*
6   Salad bar's boss, awfully unabashed (2,4,2,5) AS BOLD AS BRASS*
7   Condescend to remove first of specs from blueprint (5) DEIGN DEsIGN
8   Tail winds had owls shedding from both wings (6) SHADOW {HAD+OWlS}*
10 Everyman will take into account editor's 'Badly thought out' (3-10) ILL-CONSIDERED {I'LL}{CONSIDER}{ED}
15 One devout woman, old-fashioned, overwhelmed (9) INUNDATED {1}{NUN}{DATED}
16 Chef's instructions: pieces of endive and chicory ... filling ... ready to eat (6) RECIPE {R{En...e}{Ch...y}IPE}
17 They detail stevedores (7) DOCKERS [DD]
18 Endless, timeless – and godless! (7) IMMORAL IMMORtAL
19 Residue and mineral deposit collected on the land (6) ASHORE {ASH}{ORE}
21 Procure fresh weaponry and back Frenchman (5) REARM {REAR}{M}

Reference List
Exuberant = OTT(Over the top), Time = T, Frenchman = M

23 comments:

  1. 8D isnt it a T? wind S HAD OWL s

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. Have the same doubt. Didn't know how to delete L from owls.

      Delete
    2. +2
      Its a hidden word clue deleting from both sides.

      Delete
    3. Isn't it a simple T?
      windS HAD OWls

      Delete
  3. No special today in view of IXL finals

    ReplyDelete
  4. Top 6
    Ramki Krishnan - 62/62
    Shashwat - 62/62
    Ashit Hegde - 61/62
    Raj Jayaram - 60/62
    Jose A - 60/62
    Sohil Bhagat - 55/62

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congratulations to Ramki. Kudos for his consistency which is perhaps the most difficult aspect in crossword solving, imho. I feel that novices will greatly benefit from a web seminar from Ramki for giving us tips to develop our skills, both in terms of 'reducing time for solving' and accuracy. Can this be considered Col, and will Ramki agree to share his skills?

      Delete
  5. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/6wH669atiGApP1ff/?mibextid=Na33Lf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Link could have been posted early or on a thread made for IXL specifically. I am not a fan of afterthoughts though!

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Perhaps it is over, going by @RR's comment @13:51.
      Some updates are welcome.

      Delete
  7. Oh. I thought it was over. How many rounds are there?

    ReplyDelete
  8. How is the score evaluated in the finals ? I mean in online IXL rounds, only the solution matters even if you dont get the annotation right. In the finals, are annotations also verified and awarded points ?

    ReplyDelete

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