Friday, 24 July 2026

No 14854, Friday 24 Jul 2026, Hypatia

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ACROSS
8   Picked up a date in full-body suit (6)
9   Essential food items for adolescents delivered (8)
10 Rock music without / with metal (8)
11 Frequently reviewed math, sci though I understand you (6)
12 Jailbird to assist guard (8)
13 Local travel mostly arranged before noon (6)
14 Bohemian robe at Nike stores (7)
17 Empty building housing most ancient astronomer (7)
20 Chiefly unselfish bonding using nobility to unify humanity (6)
22 A tear circled face reflecting heated exchange (8)
25 Fair leader squirming in this scared reel (6)
26 Initiates deals (5,3)
27 Retired soldier with army worn by death and rivalry (8)
28 Fancy student amidst new hires (6)

DOWN
1   Cast enacted absorbing love story (8)
2   Positions article controlled by likes (6)
3   First Hispanic gent touring India (6)
4   Junk mailer left rotting in jail for pigs primarily (7)
5   Some puff or get itchy? No way! (6,2)
6   Siva left crackers for Diwali, perhaps (8)
7   Secure host for a TV show (6)
15 Regularly trains KIA's rides for liquid transporters (8)
16 United Nations entering current engagement in flood (8)
18 Clear display (8)
19 Spooner's put meat as ingredient in pulao (3,4)
21 One required to polish floor cushion (6)
23 Hard navigating grand city in skirt (6)
24 Bits of mixed assorted spices adding lingering aroma! (6)

43 comments:

  1. 24D - MASALA - first words after of;
    Clue - bits
    19D - BAY LEAF - ingredient in pulao; Put - Lay; Meat - Beef; spooner means changing first words - Bay Leaf
    15D - TANKARDS - Liquid Transporters; regularly TrAiNs KiAs RiDeS
    6D - FESTIVAL - Diwali ; {SIVA LEFT}* anagrid - crackers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 14A - BEATNIK - Bohemian; telescopic; roBE AT NIKe

      Delete
    2. 14A: stores as telescopic indicator was 👌

      Delete
  2. 12A, conserve=guard
    con is jailbird, serve is assist
    so, con+serve= conserve

    ReplyDelete
  3. 2D Asanas=positions(def.)
    article=an, controlled by is an indicator
    likes mean as, as
    so, As+(an)as= Asanas

    ReplyDelete
  4. 17A, Ptolemy=Ancient astronomer(def.)
    Empty building, EY(we take these letters)
    Empty building also mean plot=plot
    most=m
    housing is indicator
    even building suggests (indicator) to construct word
    so, (Ey)+(plot)+m(most)
    Ptolemy
    please suggest any help or correct me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your annotations are not correct for 28a, 17a
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. 28A, Relish=fancy(def.)
      student(learner)=L plus
      Hires, it gives
      Relish

      Delete
    3. (Empty+ Ol (ol D))*=Ptolemy
      old is most ancient
      Building is indicator
      Got it !

      Delete
    4. You can fine tune it further.
      Ancient- old
      Most ancient- ol
      Building- anagrind
      Housing- containment indicator
      (Empty)*- ptemy
      Pt(ol)emy

      Delete
  5. 14.ac.Beatnik.(ro)be + at + Nik(e)
    11.ac. Gotcha. m(a)t(h) s(c)i (t)h(o)u(g)h. Letters in brackets to be read in reverse order.
    5.dn.Forget it. (puf) f or get it(chy.).
    6.dn.Festival. Siva left. Anagram. Rearranging the letters.
    7.Anchor. ( Host for a TV show) . secure= anchor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 11A, I tried hard and got answer too but for annotation.
      Frequently is to take letters, selectively, reviewed is reversal indicator..right!
      m(a)t(h) s(c)i (t)h(o)u(g)h.
      Gotcha
      Thanks for clarity sir

      Delete
  6. 13A, Tavern
    Definition, I am little confused as Local can not qualify as definition
    before Noon, N comes first
    travel mostly means trave
    By arranging we get
    N(noon)+(trave)*
    Tavern

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Travel mostly arranged- (Trave)*- Taver
      followed by N
      Tavern- Local

      Delete
    2. Definition is not fully justified. Saw dictionary but no clear mention.

      Delete
    3. Local is inn = tavern
      Sathia

      Delete
  8. 5A PROTEINS-essential food items; for {PRO}, adolescents (teens) {TEINS} delivered

    ReplyDelete
  9. 20 A
    Chiefly = First letter selector
    U nselfish B onding U sing N obility T o U nifty = UBUNTU
    Humanity = UBUNTU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 👍 chiefly - you may call it Acrostic indicator

      Delete
  10. Where is HP indicator for teens becoming teins?

    ReplyDelete
  11. 22 A
    A = A
    Tear = RENT
    Face = MUG
    Reflected = Reversal ind.
    .MUG > GUM
    Circled = Container ind.
    A R ( GUM ) ENT = ARGU.ENT = Heated exchange

    ReplyDelete
  12. 10A SCANDIUM-metal; rock {MUSIC}*, without/with {AND},
    20A UBUNTU-humanity; chiefly Unselfish Bonding Using Nobility To Unify
    22A ARGUMENT-heated exchange; {A TEAR}* circled face {MUG }<= reflecting
    1D ANECDOTE-story; cast {ENACTED}, absorbing love {O}

    ReplyDelete
  13. In lieu of 20A
    3D SENIOR-first; hispanic gent {SENOR}, {I}ndia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In lieu of 22A
      4D SPAMMER-junk mailer; {l}eft rotting jail {S(-l +P)AMMER} for {p}igs

      Delete
  14. 17a PTOLEMY =astronomer
    (EMPTY)*=PTEMY, most ancient =OLd̶
    housing =container ind,
    so PT(OL)EMY.
    28a RELISH=fancy
    student =L, amidst new (hires)*
    RE(L)ISH
    9a PROTEINS=essential food items
    for=PRO, adolescents=teens, delivered-(~TEINS)so, PROTEINS

    ReplyDelete
  15. 28 A
    Student = L
    New = Anagrind
    Hires > REISH
    Amidst = container ind.
    Fancy = RE( L ) ISH = RELISH

    ReplyDelete
  16. 23d GHAGRA=skirt
    (H)a̶r̶d̶ navigatiing (G)r̶a̶n̶d̶+
    AGRA=city ,G(H)AGRA

    ReplyDelete
  17. 16d: inundate = flood.
    Current - in, united nations - UN, engagement - date.
    18d: manifest = clear / display.
    21d: buffer = cushion.
    Polish - buff - polish.

    ReplyDelete
  18. 27 A
    Retired Soldier = VET
    Army = TA ( Territorial Army )
    Death = END
    Worn = container ind.
    Rivalry = V( END ) ET TA = VENDETTA

    ReplyDelete
  19. 25A:afraid=scared
    (fair+leader)*=(afraid+reel)

    ReplyDelete
  20. 8a. ONESIE - Full body suit
    ONE. - A
    SIE - See (Date)
    Picked up. - HP Ind for Sie

    ReplyDelete
  21. 5 A anagram
    some pUfF Or GeT IT itcHy
    FOUGHT IT- = no way

    ReplyDelete

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