Thursday 23 May 2024

No 14182, Thursday 23 May 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 21A 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   Booked prime table in beach, say (3-5) SET-ASIDE {SE{Ta..e}ASIDE}
5   Arrange commercial fair (6) ADJUST {AD}{JUST}
10 Work on nurse's appearance outdoors (4-3) OPEN-AIR {OP}{EN}{AIR}
11 Flap of the airplane wings with hole in the middle of passage at rear gate (7) AILERON {AIsLE}{NOR<=}
12 Game of chance many get tips from tout and organiser (5) LOTTO {LOT}{Tout}{Or...r}
13 Trees and tubers as rendered primarily useful inside (9) ARBUTUSES {TUBERS+AS}* over {Us...l}
14 Congress no saints in case, working to get bail, perhaps (12) RECOGNISANCE {CONGREss+IN+CASE}*
18 Mostly mood gets altered with an opiate, only leading to formation of buzz, perhaps (12) ONOMATOPOEIA {MOOd+AN+OPIATE+Only}*
21 One news from the front covering order at last, makes perception unknown (9) I?C?G?I?O (Addendum - INCOGNITO - Error in clue wording. See comments}
23 Harry Kane dived in the front to manipulate (5) KNEAD {KANE*}{Di..d}
24 The Spanish, say hire worker that is smart (7) ELEGANT {EL}{EG}{ANT}
25 Record with an agent finally, to collect instalments, clean essentially (7) ITEMISE {1}{a..nT}{EMIS}{clEan}
26 Say, richest man confronts stranger with gun (6) MUSKET {MUSK}{ET}
27 French police is good to close issue with English (8) GENDARME {G}{END}{ARM}{E}

DOWN
1   To begin with piling lubricant in ship pollutes (6) SPOILS {S{Pi...g}{OIL}S}
2   Agreement to vacate territory filled with soldiers, volunteers to retreat (6) TREATY {Te...rY} over {RE}{TA<=}
3   Thus a father took time for a drama (4,5) SOAP OPERA {SO}{A}{POP}{ERA}
4   Store admits log was manipulated by doctors (14) DERMATOLOGISTS*
6   Earthenware depot vacated to house troll (5) DELFT {Dep{ELF}oT}
7   Out of bed, teacher about to take on a new government in a coup (8) UPRISING {UP}{SIR<=}{1}{N}{G}
8   Design sten gun with a bit of titanium and another element (8) TUNGSTEN {STEN+GUN+Ti...m}*
9   Is cobalt a gas? (6,8) CARBON MONOXIDE (co)
15 Tip of DNA signifies death (6,3) STICKY END [C&DD]
16 Amphitheatre for playing music entertaining noble often across Spain (8) COLISEUM {MUSIC}* over {nObLe} and {E}
17 Rebel found in wastelands with beggars (8) MOOCHERS {MOO{CHE}RS}
19 Say flat-earther's study that is right (6) DENIER {DEN}{IE}{R}
20 A man in the care of medico gets online support (6) ADHERE {A}{D{HE}R}{E}
22 Ate fruit, became great ape (5) GRAPE [CA] {GRAPE+ATE}* = {GREAT APE}

Reference List
Commercial = AD, Nurse = EN(Enrolled Nurse), Gate = NOR, Saint = S, The in Spanish = EL, Stranger = ET, Good = G, English = E, Ship = SS, Soldiers = RE(Royal Engineers), Volunteers = TA(Territorial Army), New = N, Government = G, Spain = E, Right = R, Online = E

14 comments:

  1. 22d i think definition place holder is a must in a CA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://www.crosswordunclued.com/2011/01/composite-anagrams.html

      Delete
    2. Is it ok if the clue is-
      Great ape ate fruit.

      Delete
    3. Got confused with Definition. I filled up Orang for 22d, but was stuck with 21a. Only after 16d and 26a got filled, I corrected orang to grape.

      Delete
  2. AD back to form- I could not complete today!
    Our own Chemistry Prof.poses an interesting question in 9D and he is probably right. But in reality Cobalt is Co whereas Carbon Monoxide is CO. A permitted charade!
    Col. solved the problem by putting both in small case!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Probably the toughest from Afterdark in recent times. Could solve all though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 21a INCOGNITO = Unknown
    COGNITION = Perception
    I, N = one, News. In front takes to the beginning
    O = Order. At last, takes it to the
    end.
    Makes = Denotes anagramming of Cognition

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clue reading implies unknown to perception!!
      Incognito's front "i n" covering o (order) at the end gives cognition.

      Delete
  6. Col, in the heading you forgot to put an asterisk after the setter name. In lighter vein please.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It wasn't so difficult. Though couldn't parse INOGNITO.
    My fav -
    CARBON MONOXIDE, MUSKET, MOOCHERS.
    Thank u AD

    ReplyDelete

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