Solution to 19D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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.
ACROSS
1 Old cake chewed several times in a nursery rhyme! (4-1-6-3) COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO {OLD+CAKE}* [Letter Bank]
Cock a doodle doo!
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master's lost his fiddling stick
And knows not what to do.
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master's lost his fiddling stick
And knows not what to do.
10 Phantom and beloved leader of Freljord cycling (5) UMBRA (-bra)UM(+bra)BRA
11 Warrant for a soldier's slogan? (6,3) BATTLE CRY [C&DD]
12 It's absurd, cheat is stealing Knight's tape (5-2) STICK ON {ITS*}{C{K}ON}
13 Oafs fly? Suspect dismissals (7) LAYOFFS*
14 An adult insect's study of mind (5) IMAGO [DD]
16 Poor wife is hot and sickly (9) UNHEALTHY UN(-w+h)HEALTHY
19 Cryptically could I set something most murky? (9) CLOUDIEST*
20 Brand mounted without hype in the end (5) SCALD SCALeD
22 Yes! Sen ceased to smuggle substance (7) ESSENCE [T]
25 Love poem with English guide (7) OVERSEE {O}{VERSE}{E}
27 Mariner (colony resident) uncomfortable at first with return of a large spider (9) TARANTULA {TAR}{ANT}{Un...e} and {A}{L}<={
29 Pi loves sex and dangerous stuff? (4,10) HIGH EXPLOSIVES {PI+LOVES+SEX}* [RA]
DOWN
3 From the beginning King never appreciated Chief Kattappa's talent (5) KNACK Acrostic
4 Bond's drone we hear is in the grips of an implant (9) DEBENTURE {DE{(~bee)BE}NTURE}
5 Outcast weasel regularly ignored characters in a number system (5) OCTAL {OutCasT+weAseL}
6 Spooner expresses surprise and lingers in lounges! (9) LOLLYGAGS (golly lags to lollygags)
7 In recess resisted beverage (5) DECAF<=
8 Heard about Indian Classical Dance's epic journey (7) ODYSSEY (~odissi)
9 Naughty smile describing basically unpalatable food (6) MUESLI {M{Un...e}SLI*}
15 Fiat, Quebec Nani drove essentially in reverse (9) ORDINANCE [T<=]
17 Controversial party game? (3,6) HOT POTATO [DD]
18 Camouflaged terrapins come to light (9) TRANSPIRE*
19 Caught a shark, a zooming beast (7) C?E?T?H (Addendum - CHEETAH (~cheater) - See comments)
21 Discover medical practitioner on line (6) DREDGE {DR}{EDGE}
23 Superb! Iago appearing in every other shoot (5) SPRIG {SuPeRb+IaGo}
24 Prepare one-liner supporting establishment at first (5) EQUIP {QUIP}<=>{Es...t}
26 To some extent clergymen voice author's concluding words (5) ENVOI [T]
Reference List
Knight = K, Wife = W, Hot = H, English = E, Large = L, Old = O, Boy = B
I had to take extra time to complete today and had to search/ research (!) a few.
ReplyDeleteParty game- I knew but by a different name.
Cock a doodle do- I love you so !!!!
High explosive- I struggled, got it in parts and filled in. But I was nowhere near RA! Good one.
That nursery rhyme always makes one smile
DeleteWe had potato yesterday also- as Murphy.
ReplyDeleteAnother Good CW by Mona Sogal. Had to struggle to get the Nursery Rhyme, after that it was smooth sailing!
ReplyDeleteSathia
Thanks Sathia
DeleteLived, loved the cock a doodle do !
ReplyDeleteThanks Naresh
DeleteEnjoyable crosswords yesterday and today.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bhargav Sir!
Delete19. cheetah
ReplyDeleteCaught (c)+a+Etah(hate)*
Zooming is an indicator. Anagram
hate =beast
Cheetah is the fastest animal. So, fast beast , high speed refers to zooming.
Caught is not C.
DeleteIt is a homophone indicator (caught as in heard)
Addendum:
ReplyDeleteFurther, shark refers to leopard(cheetah).
There is a species of houndshark, named
leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) of the family Triakidae. This is seen along the Pacific coast.
Answer is correct but the annotation is not
DeleteJust googled:
DeleteShark=cheetah
It seems there is a shark known as Shortfin Mako Shark (The "Cheetah of the Sea"): The Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is widely nicknamed the "cheetah of the sea" due to its incredible speed, capable of bursts up to 60-80 mph.
Needless complication.
DeleteI enjoyed the puzzles yesterday and today. However, I have a quibble about 4D. 'drone we hear' indicates a homophone for 'bee'. But that's not how the BE in DEBENTURE is pronounced.
ReplyDeleteHere the HP indicator is for BE ~Bee to be inserted in denture...not how be is pronounced in the whole word
DeleteAlso, in 11A, how is 'warrant' BATTLE CRY?
ReplyDeleteThis is a CD/ DD
DeleteWar is battle
Rant is cry
There is a ? As an indicator that something else is going on here
Thank you, Mona. This was a clever one!
DeleteThanks!
DeleteMissed splitting War rant. Good one.
DeleteThank you Amita and Padmanabhan
DeleteBattle cry is a "warrant for a soldier" I think
ReplyDeleteExcellent puzzle.. enjoyed through and through. Missed Cheetah (annotation) and Scald.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sriku 💕
Delete19D- Shark is a cheater (as in loaning shark who collects excessive interest)
ReplyDeleteWith 'Caught' as homophone ind., it becomes Cheetah which is a zooming best.
Cheetah (~cheater)
Now makes sense.. thanks Paddy
DeleteYou are welcome!
ReplyDeleteI thought it is tough. But finishesd Thanx to straight forward wp.
ReplyDeleteA small doubt
OBBLIGATO is sponsorship? I couldn't find this meaning anywhere.
Thrilled to solve the nursery rhymes and ditting WAR RANT.
My fav
DEBENTURE, DECAF, STICK ON.
Thanx Mona!
Splitting WAR RANT.
ReplyDelete