HAPPY DIWALI
 |
| Rangoli by Gowri |
Solution to 25D 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.
THE + (SIX WORDS)
Solvers can decipher the title and find the Nina and comment on it after 11 AM.
ACROSS
9 Cover nose when crap's on the other hand (1,8) E CONVERSO*
10 Another brag: A.I. never conceals (5) AGAIN [T]
11 Deep art has trouble coming to a point (7) TAPERED*
12 Is breakfast to be made regularly? Annoying (7) IRKSOME {Is+bReaKfaSt+be+MadE}
13 It helps make wine easy to break down and digest, ultimately (5) YEAST {EASY*}{d...sT}
14 Dick, Ted, etc., dispersed by quarter past four (9) DETECTIVE {TED+ETC}*} and {E}<=>{IV}
16 Hustle around when running! Fine cricket, Don! (10,5) CONFIDENCE TRICK {C}{FINE+CRICKET+DON}*
19 Strains and wearying of the soul, sir—going to detach, regrouping in Ohio (9) STRUGGLES [CA] {STRUUGLES+IN+OHIO}*={THE+SOUL+SIR+GOING}
26 Resistance plus current? Finally, the resistance gets hotter (7) RANDIER {R}{AND}{I}{thE}{R}
27 Disguise and/or dress (5) ADORN*
28 The most unsung, faceless yobs heal good man (9) OBSCUREST {yOBS}{CURE}{ST}
DOWN
1 Spooner's fast, wow! Take it easy! (6) GENTLY (~lent gee to gently)
2 Rail company with motorway proposal? One should probe (8) COMPLAIN {CO}{M}{PLA{1}N}
3 All night, tripping under ecstasy? Really! (10) EVERYTHING {NIGHT}*<=>{E}{VERY}
4 Inclined to be pronounced ashen/lifeless (6) GRADED (~ grey dead)
5 Alcohol is ticket for a piece of the big picture (8) HOLISTIC [T]
6 Night over, clock radio ringing (4) DARK [T<=]
8 Instinctive and keen, playing to get jack-queen-king (4-4) KNEE-JERK {KEEN*}{J}{ER}{K}
15 Rudely giant hiccup I let out, approaching closer (8,2) CATCHING UP {GIANT+HiCCUP}*
16 Unfortunate sailor from California having to live without a wife (8) CASTAWAY {CA}{ST{A}{W}AY}
20 Ignore burning state (6) REGION*
21 Note dropped by illicit lover creating anxiety (6) STRESS miSTRESS
23 Circulate oxygen over insides of feet (are awfully revolting) (6) AERATE [T<=]
25 Tall lover? Good (4) L?N? (Addendum - LONG {L}{ON}{G} - See comments)
Reference List
Quarter = E, Around = C, Resistance = R, Current = I, Good man = ST, Motorway = M, Ecstasy = E, Old = O, Jack = J, Queen = ER, King = K, Wife = W, English = E, Ordinary = O, Note = MI, Good = G
Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all 😊
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHappy Deepavali to all. Nice rangoli by Gowri.
ReplyDeleteSathia
Happy Deepavali to all.
ReplyDelete25d - long = tall. L over(on) Good.
Happy and as colourful Deepavali as Gowri's Rangoli to all.
ReplyDeleteIt's 11'o clock and I spotted a Nina
ReplyDeleteTeatime
in 5th row from bottom.
Meal is also there!
ReplyDeleteMeal is part of 3rd row from top
Deletelunch and breakfast are there in the clue.
ReplyDeleteGot 4. Two more to go
ReplyDeleteSix words seems to be a clue for the title.
DeleteIs 'Hiccup' in vlue 15d one of the 6?
ReplyDeleteIt msy come up sometimes during a meal!
Happy Diwali to all !
ReplyDeleteMEAL is an accidental nina that I hadn't noticed myself :-). "The + (Six Words)" is the title of a book.
ReplyDeletePlates in clue for 24A is a Nina?
ReplyDeleteItemized (Menu)- Solution word for 18D?
ReplyDeleteTEA-TIME is a part of the title. The other words in the title are not ninas.
ReplyDeleteTHE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL
ReplyDeleteYes, Jacob!
Deletelong, dark and soul are in the clues
DeleteGot from the net. Havent read (or heard about) the book. Detective Gently
ReplyDeletePosting my notes on this puzzle now as it is late for me. There's another nina related to the book. If you don't want a spoiler for that, please avoid reading my notes till later :-)
ReplyDeleteNotes
ReplyDeleteApart from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series of novels, Douglas Adams also wrote two novels featuring the private detective, Dirk Gently. These form the theme of this puzzle.
The title of the puzzle refers to the title of the second novel in the series, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. The words LONG and DARK are the solutions to 25d and 6d, respectively. TEA-TIME can be seen as a nina running across the fifth row from the bottom. The phrase "of the soul" can be found in the surface of 19a.
DIRK is a nina spanning the end of 11a and the beginning 12a, and GENTLY is the solution to 1d. In addition, the following entries are thematic:
3d. EVERYTHING. This one is only loosely thematic. It is in the Hitchhiker's series novel, Life, the Universe and Everything, that Adams first used the phrase, "the long dark teatime of the soul."
5d. HOLISTIC. The first novel is titled Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
14a. DETECTIVE.
This puzzle is also a salgram (I can't stop now, can I!?): it's another '24 puzzle that uses exactly 24 letters in its entries.
Detective Dirk Gently
ReplyDeletePersonal notes
ReplyDeleteOver the period that I set this puzzle:
- Remodelling work at my house wrapped up.
- My talented daughter got another sci-fi story published in Clarkesworld magazine (here's a link to all of them: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/author/arula-ratnakar/).
- A doctor's visit and some tests made it imperative that I improve my eating and exercise habits even more. Nothing serious, just the usual afflictions of a South-Asian-origin male.
Wish everyone & their families a
ReplyDeleteVery Happy Diwali!!
1. Not reading anything else since my solving time is only 10pm.
2. Thanx Viresh!
3. Where's Prasad? Haven't seen him since I came back.
4. Prasanna too - absent.
Thank you Ratnakar.Always interesting.
ReplyDeleteNice to read your comment Gowri. It has been a ling long time.
ReplyDeleteHappy Deepavali and Thank you for the nice colourful ramgli.
No print edition of TH tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteCol. is publishing a special at 7 am tomorrow.
Everyone,please note and participate.
Happy Diwali to all
ReplyDelete