Friday, 26 June 2026

No 14830, Friday 26 Jun 2026, Karaoke

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ACROSS
1   Leading saint leaves for cold basement (6)
4   He works during strike at beck and call exceptionally? Good, drop case first (8)
9   Discover the truth about doctor breaking law (6)
10 Sovereign force breathes fresh air (8)
12 Nobody gets air in the fiasco (3-5)
13 Supermarkets without essential stock? Get major sales force (6)
15 Burned earth at war? That's a rumour (11)
18 Giving sweetheart to do something dishonest together? (4,2,5)
21 Complains of navigation aid getting weird (6)
22 Sweeper hugs everyone in the dancing hall (8)
24 Bad dolls sorted out in basket cases (8)
25 Take a break Johnson! Make a short visit (4,2)
26 Saddened about the situations offering no progress (4-4)
27 Pursues vigorously without eccentricity and holds power unjustly (6)

DOWN
1   It is very hard to solve conundrum without essential hints (8)
2   Money shortly exchanged in shady deal for something juicy (8)
3   Help a voter primarily with electoral process in a state of disorder (3,4,3,5)
5   Branch is in a state of neglect without chief officer (4)
6   Primarily Lower House got the case law modified to free someone from hanging (5,3,7)
7   Worker interchanges tabletop with laptop in lounge! (6)
8   Girl over-used overshoe? (6)
11 It definitely disturbs others when smartphone primarily kept on silent mode (7)
14 Bowler perhaps covers a part in home ground (7)
16 Associate from Moscow or Kerala (2-6)
17 Better half is without end (8)
19 Leaders rejected salary freeze that existed for a long time (3-3)
20 Headless insensitive person goes back, it's plain (6)
23 It cuts short a sample of promotional book (6) 

35 comments:

  1. 20D, Tundra=plain(def.)
    Insensitive person is Hardnut.
    Headless means (-H Ardnut)
    goes back is reversal indicator,
    so, Ardnut>Tundra
    Tundra

    ReplyDelete
  2. 17D, Terminus=End(def.)
    Better half means ( Bet. TER) and without is minus,
    so, Ter+minus=Terminus

    ReplyDelete
  3. 15A, underbreath= rumour (def.)
    (Burned earth)*
    Anagram, at war is indicator
    underbreath is to mutter, speak in low voice. Since audibility is difficult the intent is to spread rumour.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 10A, Imperial=sovereign(def.)
    Force =Impel, Breathes is an insertion indicator as we inhale air
    Fresh means may be anagram indicator or still a reversal (Air>RIA)
    So, [Impe(ria<air)+L]

    ReplyDelete
  5. 4A, Black Leg=He works during strike(def.)
    The word blackleg is used in a derogatory sense. It means one who works more, when all are on strike.
    Exceptionally means taking skme letters from the container (beck and call)
    we get, ( BECKALL), drop case first means (-C ,call) and G is (good)
    So, by rearranging(beckall+g)*
    Blackleg

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1ac cellar st(-) c(+) ellar
    4ac blackleg (beck call g(ood) -c) *
    3dn all over the place
    (help a v(other) electoral) *
    16dn co worker (T)
    22ac ballroom b(all) room
    Broom-sweeper all-everyone

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replacement for 4ac
    19ac age old
    salary (w) age freeze-(c) old

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. solution is right Vasanthi, anno needing a small tweak

      Delete
  8. 6.dn, Cheat the gallows. L(ower) + H(ouse) + got the case law. And rearranging the letters.
    16.dn. Coworker. (Mos)cow or Ker(ala).
    22.ac.Ballroom.Broom(sweeper) + all(everyone) .And rearranging the letters.
    27.ac. Usurps. Pursues -e ( eccentricity). And rearranging the letters
    26.ac. Deadends. rearranging the letters from Saddened.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the puzzle KKR ji and Col
    11D was my favourite!

    ReplyDelete
  10. 5d
    Branch=limb
    State of neglect=limbo
    Without chief officer =limbo-o=limb

    ReplyDelete
  11. 18a
    To do something dishonest together =hand in glove
    Giving =handing
    Sweetheart =love
    (handing +love)*=hand in glove

    ReplyDelete
  12. 24a
    Basket cases=odd balls
    (Bad dolls)*=odd balls

    ReplyDelete
  13. 1D CORUNDUM ( it is very hard) (conundrum - n)*
    without - ; essential hints - n
    2 D (L(EMON)ADE)* something juicy.
    Money shortly - (mone )
    shady deal (deal);

    ReplyDelete
  14. 23 d BLAD promotional book
    BLADE it cuts - E short
    enum printed as 6 but grid has only 4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well spotted Murali. Apologies for the typo, although it is obvious from the grid

      Delete
  15. 13a: stress = force.
    Supermarkets - stores minus essential stOck with major Sales.

    ReplyDelete
  16. 12a NON EVENT =fiasco
    Nobody = NONE+ air =VENT

    ReplyDelete
  17. 11d: SNORING
    Smartphone primarily is S
    Silent mode is NO RING
    Snoring definitely disturbs others !

    ReplyDelete
  18. 21ac: GRUMPS meaning complains
    Navigation aid is GPS
    Weird is RUM
    "getting" indicates RUM gets into GPS

    ReplyDelete
  19. 14Dn HABITAT - {H{A}{BIT}AT}

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

    ReplyDelete
  21. 25A:look-in=make a short visit
    take a break johnson, john(loo) son(kin)
    (loo)(kin)

    ReplyDelete
  22. 25a. LOOK IN - Make a short visit
    LOO -John
    KIN - Son
    Take a break - Ind to split (break) the word Johnson

    ReplyDelete
  23. 25A: Make a short visit= look in
    Johnson ((loo)(kin))
    Ardenism or say “Karaokeism”
    Break to indicate separate two words
    As look in.
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In lieu of 7D:
      7D: lounge = loiter
      Worker is toiler
      (-t)(+l)oi(+t)(-l)er
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Sorry! In lieu of 25A
      Sathia

      Delete
  24. 26a LOOK IN; short visit; LOO KIN; JOHN SON!

    ReplyDelete
  25. 9a rumble =discover the truth; doctor (mb) breaking law (Rule)

    ReplyDelete

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