Friday, 21 February 2025

No 14414, Friday 21 Feb 2025, Afterdark

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ACROSS
1   Can't gain if Stokes is out? Tempting (11) FASCINATING {CANT+GAIN+IF+S}*
9   Admit that debate ended early at school society (7) CONFESS {CONFEr}{S}{S}
10 Sayhelp comes in different form for one that's pretty (7) SHAPELY*
11 Question the model (5) POSER [DD]
12 Dissect a particle with chisels in the middle (9) ANATOMISE {AN}{ATOM}{chISEls}
13 Bean obtained from Mexico coast (5) COCOA [T]
15 Exit terms discord with hardliner (9) EXTREMIST*
18 Theatre assistant is a good person, at times takes responsibility (9) STAGEHAND {ST}{AGE}{HAND}
21 Lamb's sweep yields a wicket, taken by Hasaranga at first (5) SHEEP S(-w+h)HEEP
22 Heartless Poles (2 of them) taking centre of house (9) BARBAROUS {BAR}{BAR}{hOUSe}
24 A sect? Could be confused with another (5) CASTE* Semi&lit
26 Fact is assets drown one (7) REALITY {REAL{1}TY}
27 Our names almost got mixed up in appeal (7) ENAMOUR {OUR+NAMEs}*
28 Safety feature in new jet's core corrodes mostly (7,4) EJECTOR SEAT  {JETS+CORE}*{EATs}

DOWN
1   Deal with companies' cosmetic treatments (4,5) FACE PACKS {FACE}{PACKS}
2   Broadcasts result in ship (5) SENDS {S{END}S}
3   Drunk  in Britain by mistake, took drugs and slept essentially (9) INEBRIATE {BRITIAN}* over  {E} then {slEpt}
4   As usage is compromised, it becomes moderate (7) ASSUAGE*
5   Darwin's tantrum controlled in a second (7) INSTANT [T]
6   Coming up on Aug; a fertilizer (5) GUANO [T<=]
7   Killing a king is dicier, somehow should overcome elite guards at first (8) REGICIDE {R{El..e}{Gu...s}ICIDE*}
8   As per sources, Bombay youth tear excerpt into eight bits (4) BYTE Acrostic
14 Convener Charlie's lock taken by attendant (8) CHAIRMAN {C}{HAIR}{MAN}
16 Relaxed having tea and some raisin cake on a piece of furniture (4,5) EASY CHAIR {EASY}{CHAI}{Ra...nWhat's the role of Cake?
17 Classified information on violent protest besieging Election Commission (3-6) TOP-SECRET {PROTEST}* over {EC}
19 Pain-reliever gets an approval ultimately by new lead examiner (7) ANODYNE {A}{NOD}{bY}{N}{Ex...r}
20 Investigate princess's school (7) DISSECT {DIS}{SECT}
22 Hide in bay (4) BARK [DD]
23 Animated boxer rivets essentially (5) ALIVE {ALI}{riVEts}
25 Grounds for grievance (5) SCORE [DD]

Reference List
Stokes = S, School = S, Society = S, Good person = ST, Wicket = W, Ship = SS, Charlie = C, New = N, Princess = DI



38 comments:

  1. 13a
    Bean =cocoa
    Mexi(co coa)st
    Telescopic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 15a
      hardliner =extremist
      (Exit +terms)*

      Delete
    2. 23d
      Animated=alive
      Boxer=Ali,rivets essentially=be
      Ali+ve=alive

      Delete
    3. 8d
      eight bits=byte
      Sourcer is the indicator of first letters from =
      Bombay youth tear excerpt

      Delete
    4. 7d
      Killing a king=regicide
      elite guards at first =e,g
      (diciet+e+g)*=regicide

      Delete
  2. 1A FASCINATING - tempting; {CANT GAIN IF S}*
    2D SENDS - broadcasts; result {END}, ships {SS}
    4A ASSUAGE - moderate; {AS USAGE}*
    5A INSTANT - in a second; darwINS TANTrum
    6A GUANO - fertilizer; ON AUG <=

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Completed. 12A,22A and 19D are my favourites today.

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

    ReplyDelete
  6. 27a - enamour from our name(s)
    28a - ejector seat - anagram of jet(s) core generally in a airplane seats can be ejected hence the solution
    24a - caste anagram of a sect

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 28A- Lot more wordplay in the clue.
      It has been repeatedly told that this is NOT a guessing game.
      27A- How is S removed?

      Delete
  7. 17d-top secret, anagramprotestec

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anagram is indicated as (protest EC)* You must also indicate what is the anagram indicator. Pl. follow Col.'s blogging to learn how to present the
      solution.

      Delete
  8. 21a, sheep, sweep yields w-icket, taken by H-asaranga

    ReplyDelete
  9. 12ac: ANATOMISE
    A particle -> An atom
    Middle of CHISELS is ISE

    ReplyDelete
  10. 26 ac: REALITY = Facts
    Assets -> REALTY
    One-> I

    ReplyDelete
  11. 22 across --Barbarous
    Heartless - barbarous
    Two poles -bar, bar
    Centre of house - ous

    22 down - bark
    Bay - bark , as a dog bays
    Hide -skin, as a tree's skin? Not sure..

    ReplyDelete
  12. 20D: investigate= dissect
    (Dis)(sect)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  13. 19D:anodyne=pain reliever-an(a)
    approval(nod) ultimately b(y)new(n)
    lead (e)xaminer.

    ReplyDelete
  14. 9a CONFESS: admit
    CONFE(r: debate ended early) S(school) S(society)

    ReplyDelete
  15. 9a CONFESS = Admit
    CONFE = Confe(rence) , Debate, ended early
    SS = School, Society

    ReplyDelete
  16. Replace for 9a

    11a POSER= Question
    Poser = Model

    ReplyDelete
  17. 17 dn top secret. protest* EC
    top s(ec)ret.-classified information.

    ReplyDelete
  18. 10A SHAPELY - Pretty (def) (say help)*

    ReplyDelete
  19. 3D - Inebriate(drunk) anagram of Britain + e(cstacy) drugs + slEpt (essentially)
    16D - Easy chair (piece of furniture) - Easy (relaxed) + Chai(tea) and R(aisin)

    ReplyDelete
  20. 16d - easy chair - denoting having tea in relaxed way and also indicator of furniture

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is time you start learning to present your solution properly with annotation. Pl see @RR giving the annotation for this clue.
      Sathia

      Delete
  21. 16a, piece of furniture = easy chair
    Relaxed = easy
    tea = cha
    some raisin = r
    A = I
    On = cont ind
    [Easy] [cha(i)r]

    ReplyDelete
  22. 25d SCORE (DD) = grounds or justification, =grievance as in "settle score"

    ReplyDelete
  23. 25D-scope -grounds for grievance

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nice puzzle.. can some explain 25D .. listed as DD.. i do not understand it. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  25. Easier than usual AD fare.
    My fav - ANATOMISE, DISSECT, BARBAROUS.
    A small doubt. Responsibility is HAND?

    Thanx AD.

    ReplyDelete

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