NINE CROWNS
ACROSS
9 Upset jinn tore packages (Ali ultimately put pieces together) (9) INTERJOIN* {JINN+TORE}* over {alI}
10 Devise escape mechanism (5) HATCH [DD]
12 Monkey kept in section with low wall (7) PARAPET {PAR{APE}T}
13 Good—indeed, fantastic conclusion by umpire raising finger after catch? (5) EDGED {ED{G}ED*}
14 Prospect of naughty lap dances? (9) LANDSCAPE*
16 Father had potato (fried), just like that (2,3,4,2,1,3) AT THE DROP OF A HAT*
22 Bore child with tips on debate after retirement (5) TOTED {TOT}{De..tE<=}
27 Question: best current opener in cricket? (5) TOPIC {TOP}{I}{Cr...t}
28 Intimacy on the counter? Lust, getting wasted in odd places? Setter has concerning long-term wild reproduction consequences (9) EVOLUTIVE {LOVE<=}{lUsT}{I'VE}
DOWN
1 Wife has one scrambled egg and third of milk shake (6) WIGGLE {W}{1}{EGG+miLk}*
2 Direct eccentric star and topless 8 (8) STRAIGHT {STAR*}{eIGHT}
3 Gussalufz's "EZ" or most elementary level? (6,4) GROUND ZERO {EZ+OR}* [RA] What's the role of Gussalufz?
4 Annoy gangster from the north (6) BOREAL {BORE}{AL}
5 Criticize revolutions over quick chat (4-4) SNIP-SNAP {PAN}{SPINS}<=
7 Ideal place, you said, to quietly and heartily flirt with one (6) UTOPIA {(~you)U}{TO}{P}{flIrt}{A}
8 With husband near America, send message around noon: "Anything else we can do?" (4,4) WHAT NEXT {W}{H}{A}{T{N}EXT}
15 Foetus sits fooling around in this body part (4,6) SOFT TISSUE*
16 Perennial bloomer, "Amar _____ Anthony," releasing on Sunday, finally (8) AMARANTH {AMAR}{ANTHony}
18 Lizard spoiled the raita (8) HATTERIA*
.jpg)
23 More yawning from the German bored by Go round (6) DEEPER {D{PEE<=}ER}
Reference List
Good = G, Hospital = H, Wife = W, Gangster = AL(Capone), Quietly = P, With = W, Husband = H, America = A, Noon = N, The in German = DER, Go = PEE, Associate = A
Gussalufz- Ref.to a made up word? Ground?
ReplyDelete28A- Unusually long and convoluted clue from Gussalufz. Surface is also not very intrtesting.
ReplyDeleteApart from 28A ( long clue) a lovely Sunday CW given by Gussalufz.
ReplyDeleteSathia
There is a Nina as Head Gear in the last row!
ReplyDeleteSathia
Re: 3d: I like to indicate reverse anagrams (or other "reverse" wordplays) in some way (instead of just presenting the fodder). One of the ways is the one used here, which is "how a cryptic clue setter (Gussalufz) might see a string of letters (EZ OR in this case)."
ReplyDeleteRe: 28a: I try to set fair clues with surfaces that are interesting to me. Sometimes (especially with zany surfaces), the appeal of a surface is quite subjective. In this case, the surface is definitely interesting/funny to me, but clearly not to at least two solvers. I'll just accept that as inevitable and hope that most other surfaces landed well.
ReplyDeleteOf course!!
ReplyDelete+1. It is just different from clues normally set by you which was noticed.
DeleteSathia
Paddy sir....remebering Vladimir....about 8D..........what Next????
DeleteYes indeed!
DeleteWhere is Vladimir?
HEADGEAR is a nina. There are a few other words to be found (with repetitions), though not ninas in the same way as HEADGEAR.
ReplyDeleteElsewhere-
ReplyDeleteHe contributes to the liquid assets of the bank (5,5)
He's all pumped up and drained
Delete:-)
DeleteGood one?
DeleteYes, it is a good one. I will rate it A+ (something which he might contribute :-)
Deleteor CRIB
DeleteHere are my notes for this crossword (spoiler alert—please read later, if you're still trying to decipher the title and find the other hidden words).
ReplyDelete*Notes*
This crossword has nine hidden occurrences of a word for some headgear (hence the title, Nine Crowns).
The nina across the bottom row, HEADGEAR, is a crown.
WIGGLE (1d) contains the crown WIG.
UTOPIA (7d) contains the crown TOPI.
WHAT NEXT (8d) contains the crown HAT.
HATCH (10a) contains the crown HAT.
LANDSCAPE (14a) contains the crown CAP.
AT THE DROP OF A HAT (16a) contains the crown HAT.
ESCAPE (20d) contains the crown CAP.
TOPIC (27a) contains the crown TOPI.
*Personal notes*
Upon recommendations from a couple of friends (who saw my prior notes about my back issues), I started doing cat-cow stretches (and a few related exercises). They have helped greatly, and I think my back is close to a 100% recovered now. Thanks EM, KK!
Dr. Jane Goodall passed away recently (what an amazing woman, hats and caps and wigs and topis off!). I watched her farewell interview on Netflix and nodded wholeheartedly at her proposed spaceship (not entirely unlike the Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B) passenger manifest. A few names from India too come to mind...