Sunday, 4 January 2026

Special, Sunday 04 Jan 2026, IXL 2025 Prelim 1, S Sreenivasan (Avtaar)

Three answers per commenter till 1 PM (Annotations compulsory) 
Please submit all your answers in one comment.  

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

Solutions will be available in the grid after 1 PM.

Enjoy.

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48 comments:

  1. P. Venkatesan4 January 2026 at 10:42

    16A: THOUGHT (THOUGH)(T)
    13D: ESPADRILLE (DEALER+SLIP)*
    15D: DRIVEL (DRIVE)(..L)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gemini4 January 2026 at 11:09

    25D. Caps= fits.
    Clasp- l= caps. Reducing is anagrind

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sreeni4 January 2026 at 11:20

      No. Good attempt but Caps= Fits is a stretch.

      Delete
  3. Gemini4 January 2026 at 11:23

    22D. Fired= sacked.
    Fired is when a gun is set off making sound . Hence the homophone heard

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kiran4 January 2026 at 11:33

    27a GRECIAN (from Athens)
    (ICE <=) in (GRAN)
    meth = ice, gran = granny(an old woman)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kiran4 January 2026 at 11:51

      14a ACCENTS (marks of stress)
      acce(-p)ts around (n)

      Delete
    2. Kiran4 January 2026 at 12:02

      2d OIL PAINTS (material for artists)
      { in+o+plasti(-c) }*

      Delete
  5. Gemini4 January 2026 at 11:41

    7D. Vienna= city.
    South Indian capital = CHENNAI - CH = ENNAI - I ( leaving for Indore)
    VI = six
    Vienna

    ReplyDelete
  6. Remy4 January 2026 at 12:04

    11a noria-water wheel bearing-air< working-on<
    25 d ague-fits a g(l-)ue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remy4 January 2026 at 13:03

      15 d chatoyant- Message -chat y-yellow
      an -article cha (to y an )t. lustrous gem

      Delete
  7. Kiran4 January 2026 at 12:18

    This is definitely one of the toughest IXL grids I have seen !!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gemini4 January 2026 at 12:24

    Even the preliminary itself is so tough, the finals could be the ones played at Sabina Park ( the dreaded WINsoeedters paradise earlier) and the current GABBA ground!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gemini4 January 2026 at 12:24

    * WI Speedsters

    ReplyDelete
  10. H Ramachandran4 January 2026 at 12:49

    18a DEAD SEA - Salty lake
    DEE River
    ADS. Sad (down) cycling
    A
    DE+AD S+E+A
    Bathed. insert ind

    ReplyDelete
  11. H Ramachandran4 January 2026 at 12:52

    8d. RETYPE. Punch again
    (PRET(T)Y+E)*
    Exiting. Del Ind for T
    E office finally

    ReplyDelete
  12. H Ramachandran4 January 2026 at 12:53

    16a. TAG LINE. Slogan
    (LATIN+GE)*
    GE Tips fromGooglE

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sathia4 January 2026 at 13:10

    15D: cat’s eye = chatoyant
    Message is chat
    To
    Yellow is y
    Article is an
    Hence, (cha( to)(y)(an)t)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  14. Devi Prasad4 January 2026 at 13:13

    1D:fever=excitement
    not many=(few), completed=over
    old(o), women(w), racing=deletion ind.
    {(few)-(w)(over)-(o)}

    ReplyDelete
  15. Devi Prasad4 January 2026 at 13:23

    2A:footballers=players
    (oestrllfoba)*
    On Either Side The River Lie Long Fields Of Barley And

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devi Prasad4 January 2026 at 14:06

      principal elements=first letters
      enlivened=anagram indicator

      Delete
  16. Gemini4 January 2026 at 13:28

    I could solve only one 😞

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mukundala Balasubramanyam4 January 2026 at 13:30

    3D : BODY (B(-LO)ODY)
    Cruel : BLOODY
    Look : LO
    Defn : Mummy

    24 D : WHIRR (WHI-m)(RR)
    Fancy : WHIM
    Maiden : M
    Premium car RR ( Rolls Royce)
    Defn "Vroom" sound

    23A : VOWEL (V)(-tOWEL)
    Very : V, Dry (v) : TOWEL
    Tree's top falling : Minus T
    Defn : Sound of A

    ReplyDelete
  18. Devi Prasad4 January 2026 at 13:33

    9A:invalid=patient
    case of impersonation=(in)
    detective=(di), john=(lav) recalled=reversal ind. tracking (in)
    {(in)(di)(lav)<=}

    ReplyDelete
  19. AJ4 January 2026 at 13:40

    17d GROOVIEST: most delightful
    VIES: contests won by G: Greece top ROOT : seed
    G(ROO(VIES)T)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jacob Brahmakulam4 January 2026 at 14:06

    12d ANCESTRY; race; dANCE TRY

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jacob Brahmakulam4 January 2026 at 14:09

    20d TILING; floor with slabs; LIT <= IN G

    ReplyDelete
  22. Jacob Brahmakulam4 January 2026 at 14:15

    21a IDOLATRY; admiration: I DO LAw TRY; study principles of litigation=do law; judge=try

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sohil Bhagat4 January 2026 at 22:00

      Slightly off on the anno IMO

      Judge = TRY after
      I + DO (Study) + LA (Principles of litigation (anon.))

      Delete
  23. Sathia4 January 2026 at 14:40

    26A: good news= evangel
    Part is leave<
    Outsiders of Nanyang are ng
    Saving is container indicator
    Hence, (eve(ng)el)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  24. AJ4 January 2026 at 14:42

    5d: EYRIE: mountain hideout
    EYE: central spot R: raging I: current
    Blocked by is containment indicator
    EY(R)(I)E

    ReplyDelete
  25. AJ4 January 2026 at 14:52

    22d AUGHT: anything ~out: being sacked

    ReplyDelete
  26. Sathia4 January 2026 at 14:52

    6D: Destroying plans= scuttling
    Wound is cut
    Pitch is sling
    Base of foot is t
    Hence, (s(cut)(t)ling)
    Today, I was busy in the morning and thought probably I may not get a chance to crack Special.Good and challenging CW given by Sreeni(Avatar)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  27. Devi Prasad4 January 2026 at 15:45

    4D:lie in state:to be shown in public
    security=(lien) allowing face of insurgent(I)=(lie in), panic=(state) follows
    {(lie(i)n)(state)}
    10A:en route=on the move
    completely exhausted=out
    somehow never losing heart=(never-n)*=(enre), en r(out)e

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia4 January 2026 at 16:01

      10A: never losing heart is (-v) becomes neer
      Somehow is anagram indicator
      (Neer +out)*
      I thinks the above is correct annotation and mind (homophonic) e,e is wrong.
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Col_Gopinath4 January 2026 at 18:08

      It's not a total anagram Sathia. Devi Prasad is right

      Delete
  28. Mukundala Balasubramanyam4 January 2026 at 15:46

    Last two yet to be solved
    10A and 4D

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sathia4 January 2026 at 15:58

    28A: in detail = to the letter
    Scrap is tot
    Dealer is he
    Checking terms of branch office charter is letter
    Hence, ( tot(he)(letter)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sree Sree4 January 2026 at 16:45

      Scrap dealer:totter
      Terms of branc(H) offic(e)
      Charter:let

      Delete
    2. Sathia4 January 2026 at 16:51

      Thanks👍
      Sathia

      Delete

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