Solution to 5D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only 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.
THREE TRICKY ONES
ACROSS
9 One gets complaints so dumb! Am flustered and close to exhaustion (9) OMBUDSMAN {SO+DUMB+AM}*{e...oN}
10 Wicked bouncer, jaffa? Look, concentrate, finally duck (5) DRAKE Tail Acrostic
11 Take it quietly, go on (7) PRESUME {P}{RESUME}
12 Breathe fire (7) INSPIRE [DD]
13 Turn vessel collecting drip (5) PIVOT {P{IV}OT}
14 A question about relationships (9) EQUATIONS*
16 Sec. censored porn scattered in letters (15) CORRESPONDENCES*
19 Maybe insert a comma in wordplay; cut roughly at end of phrase? (9) PUNCTUATE {PUN}{CUT*}{AT}{p...sE}
22 Frenchman and German captured by spies backing trickery (5) MAGIC {M}{CI{G}A<=}
24 Tried miserably sad eyes (7) ESSAYED*
DOWN
1 Enliven very plump-at-the-core small dog (4,2) SOUP UP {SO}{plUmp}{PUP}
2 Witness some deliveries bearing "Bombay Stock Exchange" sticker at the bottom (8) OBSERVER {O{BSE}{s...eR}VER}
3 Student jam triggered change (10) ADJUSTMENT*
4 Victim: pedestrian hanging outside bar (6) IMPEDE [T]
5 Tailless lizard — it can be black or red on top — from a Caribbean island (8) ?N?I?U?N (Addendum - ANTIGUAN {ANT}{IGUANa} - See comments)
6 Podcaster's sales pitches for supplements (4) ADDS (~ads}
7 Some countered: London is actually a better place? (6) CASINO [T<=]
8 Oracle up, reinforced by tax breaks (8) RECESSES {SEER<=} over {CESS}
15 The real aim, ultimately, is to start to reverse-engineer a semiconductor device (10) THERMISTOR {THE}{R}{aiM}{IS}{TO}{Re...r}
17 Congratulations, extremely professional investigations! (8) PLAUDITS {Pr...aL}{AUDITS}
20 More demanding about one's working post-retirement (6) NOSIER {RE}{1'S}{ON}<=
21 Editor passes on some current events (6) EDDIES {ED}{DIES}
23 Catholic feels sorry for priest getting ignored in urban areas (6) CITIES {C}{pITIES}
Reference List
Quietly = P, Drip = IV, Frenchman = M< German = G, Real = R, Before = ERE, About = RE, Editor = ED, Catholic = C, Priest = P
16 a - Correspondence is only 14 letters, whereas the solution is 15 letter word.
ReplyDeleteCorrespondences
ReplyDelete16A- I too filled in 'Correspondence', but since I was doing it on the print edition, I found one white remained unfilled. So, I had to fill it in wirh S.
ReplyDeleteLetters= Correspondence?
16a. It's plural for letters
ReplyDeleteCorrespondence itself refers to letters.
DeleteGussalufz said quietly go on. So went on and finished it, of course with a little help here and there. Far easier tgsn his usual ones.
ReplyDeleteI see "Houdini" in the 11th row.
ReplyDeleteHoudini, magic and correspondences are the “three tricky ones”
ReplyDeleteSathia
No. Look again. There are two other tricky ones besides Houdini
Delete5 D
ReplyDeleteFrom a Caribbean island = ANTIGUAN
Tailless = Last letter deletion ind
( Tailless ) lizard = IGUANA - A = IGUAN
On top = Location ind
It can be black or red = ANT ( Black ant or red ant )
ANT IGUAN = ANTIGUAN
Thanks for solving and comments, folks, and thanks for blogging, Col.!
ReplyDeleteHere are my notes for this crossword:
Notes
The title, Three Tricky Ones, refers to the presence of the names of three magicians in the grid.
MANDRAKE can be seen starting with the last three letters of 9a and continuing on to 10a.
SORCAR can be seen running down the fourth column.
HOUDINI can be seen hiding along the fifth row from the bottom.
Their trade, MAGIC, is also present in the grid, as the solution to 22a.
Personal notes
My July half marathon in San Francisco, it turned out, was not me overcoming a minor sprain, but me foolishly running on a fractured foot ("avulsion fracture of the fifth metatarsal," to be precise). It's not a terrible fracture, apparently—heals by itself over time—but I'm taking a break from running for now. Have switched to long swims on Sundays, for now.
Travelled to New York City at the end of August for a work trip, and quite enjoyed my stay in the Meatpacking District, with walks along the High Line, drinks at a roof-top bar with stunning views, cheap pizza slices, chai at Chhote Miya in Chelsea Market, and some fun time with friends.
Oh man! Doesn't swimming affect that tendon too
DeleteDon't upset the healing of the fracture. Hold things till it is fully set.
DeleteEasier than usual and some great clues.
ReplyDeleteCOGNOMEN is new.
My fav
PRESUME, RECESSES, PUNCTUATE.
Thanx!
It's called a Jones fracture. Doesn't give much trouble even if it doesn't heal!
ReplyDelete