Special, Sunday 12 Jan 2025, IXL-2024, Prelim 1, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 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)

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 07 Jan 2024, IXL 2023 Prelim 2, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 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)

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 01 Jan 2023, IXL 2022 Prelim 1, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 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)

Enjoy.

Special, Saturday 15 Jan 2022, IXL 2021 Preliminary No 1, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 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)

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 18 Feb 2018, Fraz

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.

ACROSS
1   Guy provided established list of passengers (8)
5   Alarm female before fitting (6)
9   Contender cuddles with a flower in Pakistan? (4,5)
11 Try to prevent chaps leaving laundry additives (5)
12 Something enticing about street sheen (6)
13 Juliet's relatives whimper, interrupting YouTube stars (8)
15 Rude remark about a movie’s last line (8)
16 Assertive company (4)
19 Rattle returned by a prince (4)
20 Trapped in network, staff showed displeasure (8)
23 Pining for Indian boxing venue (8)
24 Symbiotic lichen covers something stale (6)
27 Enlighten doctor I defy (5)
28 Delay banquets hosted by sailors (9)
29 Gives back gift of flowers found in yards (6)
30 Slicker Caine wrote to Spooner (8)

DOWN
1   Mother’s copying spice mix (6)
2   Approaches unknown listeners (5)
3   Secure place for lock (8)
4   Barring entrance to Sixth Avenue (4)
6   Metal sheep guarding Indian island (6)
7   Advocate for trail (3,6)
8   Dreary, awkward rise in volume (8)
10 Male rite changing, as it happens (4-4)
14 Red swallows in wind (8)
15 I simply admitted to becoming wrong (9)
17 Dickens character brought in dull, unpleasant work (8)
18 Onion ring found in Mumbai suburb (8)
21 Got old Greek looked at (6)
22 China ultimately went after twit (3,3)
25 Belief in sacred offering (5)
26 Cost a quarter (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at FRAZ 5

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 10 Dec 2017, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.

ACROSS
1   Nasal-voiced character initiating war is inside having a bite (6)
4   Touchdown not completed by leader in uniform in National Football League, showing contempt (8)
9   Dali abstract with bit of baroque improvisation (2-3)
10 Glorifying flashy accessories after ordering none (9)
11 Opposing benefit held in a street (7)
13 Permissive Soviet bigwig admits error ahead of time (7)
14 A scrap in front of a large vessel (5)
16 Urgent changes about lie originating with good press agent? (9)
17 Chretien uses knot again (5)
18 Sling mud at snake with tongue (7)
20 Puzzle with images about urban transport (5)
22 Was banking receptive to app put on once more? (9)
24 Compound bible book in a reading (5)
25 Race Parisian who hurt neck (7)
27 Northern place, one beginning to cultivate antelope (7)
28 Stumbling along with pair of quarterbacks in famous NYC hotel (9)
29 Put out half of eleven divided by eleven (5)
30 Lamb perhaps in omelettes, say, is terrible (8)
31 East German secret police’s period of inactivity (6)

DOWN
1   A rarer, squat flag flying somewhere in London (9,6)
2   Atlantic toward map’s right-hand side, in any case (2,5)
3   Bishop is in a state before grandmothers flip out (2,7)
5   Joining together circling silver-red fire (13)
6   Reportedly stealin’ bird (5)
7   Most beautiful incenses inserted into lard (7)
8   Wobbly saddle heightens dizzy feeling (15)
10 Punters expanded to become people who start up businesses (13)
12 Cries, “Help us!” outside front of bar (4)
15 Shirts containing latest in colour: orange and olive (5)
17 Portray salesperson with mind (9)
19 Particular edible mushrooms coming up (4)
21 Newlyweds maintaining $1000 dentalwork (7)
23 Type CIA list sloppily (7)
26 Twisted rear of cloak, very black (5)

Across Lite version can be accessed at FRAZ 4

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 30 Jul 2017, Fraz

Three answers per commenter till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment

ACROSS
1   iPhone program by the French computer company (5)
4   As said in Chennai, let's go inside lodging — good, move slowly (4,5)
9   Cups consumed by boyfriends, empty since (7)
10 Extra little piggy outside box (2,5)
11 Feature of memorial topping Venetian bridge (6)
12 Supply new weapons to post deposing leader last (8)
14 True poet’s academic divisions (10)
15 Clutch cuff (4)
18 Never used breath freshener (4)
20 In two consecutive mornings, poor gal brewed tea blend (10)
23 Pepper — for example, a tiny bit (8)
24 Little finger pastry filled with dark fluid (6)
26 Recalled painting stump sheltering cold young animal (4,3)
27 Large shed by nice field worker (7)
28 Sultan's edict covers any ship labourer with a net (9)
29 Senior metalworker starts late (5)

DOWN
1   Silent pirate runs a north-facing botanical garden (9)
2   After lifting cover, ate one Indian side dish (7)
3   Investments abandoned by one in court in recession (8)
4   Nearly flawless suggestion (4)
5   He turned fat in beatnik’s impressive buildings (10)
6   A hoarse voice repulsed a Hindu nymph (6)
7   Hot place for some butter? (2,1,4)
8   Listen to supposed caller (5)
13 Fall backward, at first, into gross, inept boxer (10)
16 Begrudge opening for each host (9)
17 Determine the way Ivan boosted concert receipts (8)
19 Fearful Roman emperor guards against us (7)
21 Graceless presentation takes week (7)
22 Greek enchantress welcomes large group of friends (6)
23 Dish made with rice if pal cooked (5)
25 Pair sleeps standing up (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at FRAZ 3

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 18 Jun 2017, Fraz

Alphabet Jigsaw

Today's Crossword is an Alphabetical Jigsaw by Fraz. 

The grid contains 26 entries, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Clues are listed in alphabetical order by their answers, and enumerations are withheld. Solvers can piece together the grid after solving the clues.

Image/Screenshot of completed grid can be sent to me by e-mail at deepakgita@gmail.com with a copy to chaturvasi@yahoomail.com. I will update the post at 4 PM today with names of those who submit the completed grid with their time of submission. Even if nobody submits by 4 PM you can still send in the submission immediately on completing the grid with all answers.

In view of the above comments are not being allowed on the post till 4 PM. I will open the post for comments at 4 PM, after which each person can post three answers with Annotations. Post 4 PM while commenting with answers please do not indicate the location of the answer in the grid.

Solution grid will be posted in the blog at a later date

CLUES
A   Over 8/13 of the alphabet?
B   Slovak city terror is volcanic flow
C   Colder bit of cola, not as flat
D   Obtain extracts from December, then October
E   Substitute some bankers at Zurich
F   Pour liquid into rear bed (Solution is hyphenated.)
G   English king finally awoke in big ravine
H   High above our high card in bridge
I    Cover smoother attempt to orbit area between Mars and Jupiter, maybe
J   Germany’s agreement with the Italian prison
K  Child swivelled aching body part
L   Has words shaven into hair (2 words.)
M  Firm choice changed outdated way to store newspapers
N   Dune novel stripped of cover
O   Farm labourers behead both sly animal and bird in coop
P   Falcons each look amused entering mirrored spot
Q  Fruit number 15 in Valencia
R   Accumulate influence or backing (2 words.)
S   Small parking area where coins are inserted
T   Asian country initially took flag down also
U  Offbeat marriage outside nunnery by a lake
V  Struggle with opinion
W Sadly perish in annex, speaking softly
X  Persian king, 20, embracing queen with vacant eyes
Y  Giving up dingy lei clumsily
Z  Camera attachment left in animal park restroom (2 words.)

Across Lite version without clues can be accessed at FRAZ 2.
This is being done so that an interactive grid is available to enter your answers.

Enjoy.

SOLUTIONS RECEIVED

Vasant Sreenivasan            12;05 PM  (All correct)
P Raghunath                       12:30 PM (One mistake) (Did not enter earlier as mail went to my spam folder)
Lakshmi Vaidyanathan        1:13 PM  (All correct)
Raju Umamaheswar            1:36 PM (All correct)
Sowmya Ramkumar            1:39 PM (All correct)
Ramki Krishnan                   2:00 PM (One mistake)
Dr Satyen Nabar                  2:01 PM (Two mistakes)
Suresh Dorbala                    2:31 PM (One mistake) (Correction sent in at 4:19 PM)
Vinayak Ekbote                   2:33 PM (One mistake)
Sreenivasan (SSV Avatar)   2:38 PM (One mistake)
Padmanabhan                      2:49 PM (One mistake)
Srinivas Venkatesh              3:35 PM (One mistake)
S Rangarajan                       3:55 PM (One mistake)

SOLUTION GRID

Special, Sunday 14 May 2017, Fraz

Welcome to our new setter 'Fraz'
Brickbats and Bouquets welcome.

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Note to solvers: A “letter bank” is a word or phrase with no repeated letters that provides the material for a longer word or phrase containing each letter of the “bank” at least once. For example, MOTHER is a letter bank for THERMOMETER, and FRACTIONS is a letter bank for SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI. One clue in this CW has a letter bank

ACROSS
7   Pirate has all the pieces needed to build type of pact (10)
9   What ruined warming of relations (4)
10 Eggplants absent in French inns (8)
11 Capital sailor returns with large shark (6)
12 For starters, asked for a raise out there (4)
14 Maybe nine, maybe eleven: the Spanish performances of Jose Carreras (5,5)
16 Insects kept secret in mirrored resort hotel (6)
18 Two claiming embassy VIP and college’s head like Shakespeare’s sonnets (6)
20 Father wraps injury in front of 101st drug dealer? (10)
21 Severely cut anesthetic used by hospital (4)
22 It may eerily show I admitted to anger (6)
24 Teary Los Angeles felon is missing home (8)
26 Dark force potentially shocking in retrospect (4)
27 Uniform worn by the disheartened player (10)

DOWN
1   German honey swindle doesn’t end (4)
2   Downloaded program and audio receiver pop up (6)
3   Wait outside bingo with a clever solution (6,4)
4   Bit of basil behind that woman’s cardamom or caraway (4)
5   Dangerous weapon a disorderly group turned up in burial site (4,4)
6   Cult upset about demand for expert committees (4,6)
8   Crazy as nine careers (6)
13 Storage device hit violently by doctor in late afternoon (5,5)
15 Possibly added sutures to fix bad tear that initially was painful (10)
17 Gruesome red bone seen in open grave (8)
19 String found among ravioli noodles (6)
21 Fellow, holding lit explosive, caught red-handed (6)
23 Lousy writer removing roof of hut (4)
25 Can disorganized leader of expedition face difficulty? (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at FRAZ 1

Enjoy.