Silky Pad?
ACROSS
1 Thoughtful boss promises to pay (8) STUDIOUS {STUD}{IOUS}
6 Devil of a religious fellow eyes taking 50% (6) MONKEY {MONK}{EYes}
1 Thoughtful boss promises to pay (8) STUDIOUS {STUD}{IOUS}
6 Devil of a religious fellow eyes taking 50% (6) MONKEY {MONK}{EY
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9 They take dips before/after the pubs (4) BARS {BAtheRS}
10 Working out with sex? I cringe, shocked (10) EXERCISING*
11 Guard's key or baton, essentially (6) ESCORT {ESC}{OR}{baTon}
13 Enclosures: fresh dairy products (no runny dip) (10) COURTYARDS {dAiRY pRODUCTS*}
15 Assessment:// a gullible fool (4) MARK {DD}
17 Makes watery, revolting goulash (4) STEW {WETS<}
18 Verifying: no good spies left in country (10) PROVINCIAL {PROVINg}{CIA}{L}
20 Old collector of jazz? Am in, darling! (8) ZAMINDAR {T}
22 Fragile creature admits: "I'm small" (6) FLIMSY {FL{I'M S}Y}
24 "Sausages and wild strawberries, but no beer?" I teased (10) BRATWURSTS CA {BRATWURSTS+I BEER}*={STRAWBERRIES+BUT} {STRAWbeRrieS BUT}* See Comments
26 Inexperienced people slip when cycling (4) KIDS {(s)KID(+S)}
27 Reveals everything about wife's fluctuations (6) SWINGS {S{W}INGS}
28 Enormity of cricket almanack omitting special timeless tests (8) WIDENESS {WIsDEN}{tEStS}
DOWN
2 Electrify//vehicle (9) TRANSPORT {DD}
3 To an extent, kabaddi's considered a dance form (5) DISCO {T}
4 Oscar, really? Cuddling belly of butler in public! (7) OVERTLY {O}{VER{buTLer}Y}
5 Date of release oddly dropped back (3) SEE {rElEaSe}<
6 Male — offensive, carrying a touch of entitlement — has spiked drinks (7) MICKEYS {M}{ICK{Ent.....nt}Y'S}
7 Having an eye condition, gymnast bungled one cartwheel, initially (9) NYSTAGMIC {GYMNAST*}{I}{Cart......eel}
8 Lack of interest in Delhi: unnecessary uprising (5) ENNUI {T<}
12 "Period Drinks": fancy bar offering port (7) HARBOUR {H{BAR*}OUR}
14 Regarding change of winter clothes — time to get fully updated! (9) REWRITTEN {RE}+T inside WINTER*
18 Platforms of hatred embraced by hollow politicians (7) PODIUMS {ODIUM} inside {Pol......anS}
19 Soaked undies irritated, gripping strongly (7) INFUSED F inside UNDIES*
21 Slender (except its top) weapon (5) ARROW {nARROW}
23 Confirm chai plan conclusively with family (3,2) INK IN {chaI}{plaN}{KIN}
25 Hack some days a week? (3) SAW {T}
Reference List
Promises to Pay=IOUs, Good=G, Left=L, Small=S, Wife=W, Time=T, Oscar=O, Male=M, One=I.
24a technically not a CA.
ReplyDeleteWild anind
No is deletion indicator.
Teased anind for beer i (not necessary.....but setters choice)
Thank You, Prasad.
ReplyDeleteGood blogging Vasant.
ReplyDeleteBut you did not leave much for the solvers- like finding the theme and Nina's!!
ReplyDeleteCall it inexperience. I will take care next time.
DeleteCongratulations Vasant for friday sojourn from Colji mantle.
ReplyDeleteSathia
You mean Saturday?
DeleteSorry i got confused the day Colji mentioned earlier about this. Anyway once again congratulations for your new role.
DeleteSathia
Thank you Sathia
DeleteThanks for the blog, Vasant!
ReplyDeletePerhaps someone can identify the meaning of the title?
It was a pleasure blogging the puzzle.
DeleteI was wondering about it. Is it the Sandpit where kids play?
ReplyDeleteNo, but you have some parts right! The title can be interpreted as a two-word place: (4, 10)
Delete26a
DeleteKids play ground.
Yes, Sree Sree!
DeletePosting my notes on this crossword very soon. Many thanks to all solvers and to Vasant for the blog!
ReplyDeleteNotes
ReplyDeleteThe title ("Silky pad?") can be seen as reverse wordplay for KIDS PLAYGROUND, which is the theme of this crossword.
KIDS is the solution to 26a, and PLAYGROUND can be seen as a nina running across the 6th rows from the top and bottom. In addition, the following entries are thematic:
6a., 9a. MONKEY BARS.
10a. EXERCISING.
27a. SWINGS.
5d., 25d. SEE-SAW.
In addition, COURTYARD (13a.) and ROADSIDE (16d.) too often are places where kids play.
For those who've been tracking, it won't be a surprise that this puzzle too is a salgram: it's another '24 puzzle that uses exactly 24 letters in its entries.
Personal notes
The remodelling work at my house finished last month. The company that handled the design and execution is a local business in my small town. It has in fact put up "before" and "after" pictures of parts of my house in its storefront window, and I see them every time I walk along downtown's Main Street!
I'm wrapping up this crossword just after the U.S. elections. While I am disappointed by the results, at least this time it's not a shock, like it was in 2016.
Also, on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM IST, I will be opening up a 10-days-long IXL-like online crossword contest with a puzzle titled "Five Must Get Four?"
ReplyDeletePlease solve and submit solutions! The crossword will be available at this link:
https://gussalufz.com/gussalufz/2024/gussalufz-5-must-get-4.html
Interesting!!
ReplyDelete