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ACROSS
1 Assorted wet clothes — nothing left dry (5) TOWEL {T{O}WE*}{L}
4 Place where we get hot, spicy momos, right around tea (5,4) STEAM ROOM {MOMOS+R}* over {TEA}
9 Very high old meter readjusted (7) EXTREME {EX}{METER*}
10 Fie! Must cut smoking dramatically (7) FUMIEST*
11 Bloody awful chap (3,3) OLD BOY*
12 Air conditioner rebate scrapped — this is to irritate (8) ACERBATE {AC}{REBATE*}
14 In Honolulu, a unique Hawaiian feast (4) LUAU [T]
15 Swami, great club! A great retreat, regularly featuring evergreen trees (10) ARAUCARIAS {SwAmI+gReAt+ClUb+A+gReAt}<=
19 With just a little winding, this G.I. Joe dances (4) JIGS [T<=]
22 Russian bodyguard on vacation has massages (8) RUBDOWNS {RU}{Bo...rD}{OWNS}
24 Time after time, a very personal artistic statement (6) TATTOO {T}<=>{T}{A} and {TOO}
26 Vent angrily in restaurant, haggling over lousy eggless starters (7) AIRHOLE Acrostic
27 Wins over objective auditors (7) ENDEARS {END}{EARS}
28 Ann cheers free boosters (9) ENHANCERS*
29 Sing on the counter while Doyle pens (5) YODEL [T<=]
DOWN
3 Storming? Oi! We'll hide (3,3) LIE LOW*
5 Bring feet on fire over broken faucet (10) EFFECTUATE {FEET}* over {FAUCET}*
6 Setter's right about setter's statue? (8) MEMORIAL {ME}{MOR{I}AL}
7 Regressive segment of media reported something dramatic (5) OPERA [T<=]
8 Insect queen's parents (7) MOTHERS {MOTH}{ER'S}
13 Relative is weirdly energetic after drinking the last of soda (5-5) GREAT-NIECE {ENERGETIC}* over {sodA}
17 Make merry with Dorothy' pal, in formal attire (2,2,4) GO TO TOWN {GO{TOTO}WN}
18 Many shots in pub frenzy (7) BARRAGE {BAR}{RAGE}
20 Matrimonial: "Baby with one leaving for America?" (7) SPOUSAL {SPO(-i+usa)USAL}
21 Man, a royal dynasty frequently chosen? We're in trouble (6) MAYDAY {M}{A}{roYal+DynAstY}
23 Announced dock arrival (5) BIRTH (~berth)
25 Checks out of five star around half past twelve, finally (4) VETS {V}{STar<=} over {t...vE}
Reference List
Left = L, Right = R, Old = EX, Degrees = BA's, Temperature = T, Russian = RU, Time = T, Very = TOO, Wife = W, Husband = H, Sex = IT, Hotel = H, Queen's = ER'S, Man = M
1a towel - dry
ReplyDeleteAssorted - anagrind
(Wet)* - twe
Nothing- o
Clothes- containment indicator
Left- l
T(o)we l
12a acerbate- to irritate
Air conditioner- ac
Scrapped- anagrind
Ac(rebate)*
2d withdrawn- shy
Wife- w ; husband- h
Limit- containment indicator
Sex- it
Early morning- dawn
Close to four- r
Around- containment indicator
W(it)h d(r)awn
4d seek- ask
Kind of kebab- seekh
Puts off - removal indicator
Hotel- h
Seek(-h)
13d great niece- relative
Weirdly- anagrind
(Energetic)*
Last of soda- a
Drinking- containment indicator
Gre(a)t niece
👍
ReplyDeleteNeatly done and presented.
🙏
Delete4A STEAM ROOM - place where we get hot; spicy {MOMOS}*, {R}ight, {TEA}
ReplyDelete9A EXTREME - very high; old {EX}, {METER}* readjusted
11A OLD BOY - chap; {BLOODY}* awful
14A LUAU - hawaiian feast; honolu{LU A U}nique; (T)
26A AIR HOLE - vent; {A}ngrily {I}n {R}estaurant {H}aggling {O}ver {L}ousy {E}ggless straters;
11a
ReplyDeleteChap=old boy
(bloody)*
3d
Deletehide=lie low
(oil we'l)*
5d
DeleteBring=effectuate
(feet+faucet)*
5d fine tuning req.
Delete10A - fumiest - anagrind of fie & must
ReplyDelete7d - opera - anagrind of 'a' from media and 'oper' from reported
ReplyDelete8d - mothers
Anno for 8D?
Delete26A AIRHOLE =vent (acrostic)
ReplyDelete28A ENHANCERS = boosters ; (Ann cheers)*
7D OPERA = dramatic T<== (mediA REPOrted)
1D TREFOIL =target
FlOtIlLa = FOIL
medic=ERT emergency response team
perhaps for taking these letters
14A LUAU = Hawaiian Feast
Delete-->T (HonaluLU A Unique)
1d is incorrect. Pls relook
Delete1D TREFOIL = medic
DeleteTaRgEt FlOtIlLa (frequently =alternate letters)
Yes, just a minor tweak: the definition is by example, so "medic, perhaps" rather than just "medic."
Delete28 A - ENHANCERS = Boosters
ReplyDelete(Ann Cheers)*
19 A - JIGS = dances
.. thi S G.I.Joe (reversed SGIJ)
27.A ENDEARS = Wins over
Objective = End + ears= auditors)
9A. EXTREME - EX is old + TREME from meter - very high
ReplyDeleteYes. You can explicitly say it's an anagram using the commonly used shorthand, *. EX {old} METER* {... readjusted}.
Delete18A - bandobasts - meaning arrangement - music group - band
ReplyDelete8D. MOTHERS - MOTH is insect ERs is queen's
ReplyDelete17Dn GO TO TOWN - {GO{TOTO}WN}
ReplyDelete21D. Man A roYal DynAstY (frequently) = MAYDAY, the distress call
ReplyDelete6d: MEMORIAL: statue
ReplyDeleteME( setter) MOR (I)AL( moral : right about I: setter)
20 dn spousal- matrimonial
ReplyDeletebaby-spoil-i spo(usa)l
22A RUBDOWNS = Massages
ReplyDelete(RU)(BD)(OWNS)
Russian : RU
B(odyguar)d on vacation: BD
Has : OWNS
Almost the right anno, but not quite... :-)
ReplyDelete18D : Barrage. Pub(Bar) rage(frenzy)= many shots.
ReplyDelete23d. BIRTH = Arrival,. Homophone of BERTH = Dock
ReplyDeleteAnnounced Homo. Ind.
Almost there, but not *completely* precise. I do acknowledge that the precise anno here is a bit tough: T {Time} after (T {time} A) TOO {very}.
ReplyDelete29A: Yodel (sing) Doyle anagram.
ReplyDeleteAlmost: not an anagram...
Delete25D : Vets (Checks out). five (V) half past (ts) twelve finally (e)
ReplyDeleteAlmost.. the precise wordplay *is* slightly tricky in this one
DeleteV {five} (STar << {... around} {... half} after {past} twelvE {..., finally}).
Delete19A : Jigs (dances) found in reverse in 'this G.I. Joe'
ReplyDelete6D: statue? = memorial
ReplyDeleteSetter is me
Right is moral
Again, setter is I
Hence, me(mor(I)al)
Sathia
15A- Araucarias- Evergreen trees
ReplyDeleteSwAmI gReAt ClUb A gReAt ...=<<
reverse T
Not T, picking alt.letters in reverse
ReplyDelete17D-go to town-make merry; Go(toto)wn
ReplyDeleteIn lieu of 6D, already done:
ReplyDelete16D: TV show prompt= idiot card
( doc+ai+dirt)*
I think all the clues have been solved and annotated. Perhaps something more can be spotted by solvers? Note that the title of this crossword is "21s?"
ReplyDeleteHint: I had requested the editor to try and get this one published by month-end.
DeleteI can see Buddha and Tagore
DeleteYes! But why those two, and why "21s?" ... perhaps some ninas can be helpful in seeing the theme
DeleteMy guess is all relate to the month of May. Tagore Jayanti and Buddha purnima in May
DeleteYes! Look at the solution to 21. There are a few ninas too...
DeleteSorry, the two ninas have been found already. I meant: a few solution words are thematic too...
DeleteThey are all Maydays, i.e., days of May
DeleteYes!
DeleteAlso Mayday, Mothers day, birth and memorial appear to be thematic
DeleteYes, Sridhar!
DeleteThanks!
DeleteDr X has serious competition for wordplay in 2D.
ReplyDelete+1 😊
Deletevery stiff competition at that!!
DeleteSTRAIGHT DRIVE..........1-1
DeletePosting my notes on this crossword shortly. The theme ("21s?") has been identified above as "May Days." A few solution entries are thematic too, in case anyone want to identify them before I post the notes.
ReplyDeleteTowel, Steam room, Extreme, Fumiest seem related to hot days in May.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to the Col. for the blog, and thanks to all the solvers! Here are my notes for this crossword:
ReplyDelete**Notes**
This crossword is themed around special days commemorated in the month of May.
1A. TOWEL Day is on May 25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day
6D. MEMORIAL Day in the U.S. is on the last Monday of May. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day
8D. MOTHER'S Day is on the second Sunday of May. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_(United_States)
23D. BIRTH is relevant to the theme as there are two famous May birthdays captured as ninas in the grid: BUDDHA in the fourth column and TAGORE in the second-to-last column.
The theme, "MAY DAYS," is cryptically identified by the title of the crossword (*21s?*), as the solution to 21D. is MAYDAY.
I try to set an easy (easier?) THC crossword every now and then, and this is one of those. There are lots of anagrams, hidden answers, and alternations. Like all my other 2024 THC puzzles so far, this one also uses exactly 24 letters in the solution words.
**Personal notes**
There's been some remodelling going on at my house, expected to last till late summer. As I write this, the freshly re-tiled kitchen is inaccessible to us for some time (of course, my curious dog Oona managed to sneak in for an inspection!). Several items of furniture have been temporarily crammed into various rooms.
All of this reminds me of similar scenes from my childhood, when we lived in state-government-owned quarters in Bhopal, and there would be periodic whitewashing (*choona putai*) and distempering, that would require large-scale furniture rearrangements. I can still remember the utter delight that I felt as a child during such times, as these temporary piles of furniture and storage items created fantastic play areas for exploration and pretend-play!
Children don't seem to mind these temporary inconveniences, rather they find a way to make them more enjoyable than normal times!
ReplyDeleteThank you for a good CW and the interesting 'Notes'.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the grid! MEMORIAL, TATTOO, STEAM ROOM were a few favs.
ReplyDeleteSpotted BUDDHA and TAGORE but didn't get the theme and other related words!
Thanks Gussalufz and Col.
I didn't get ARAUCARIAS - even after getting it. Had to Google.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise easier than usual.
STEAM ROOM, WITHDRAWN, SPOUSAL - were my favourites.
Thanx Viresh!