Special, Sunday 30 Nov 2025, Veeyares

Three answers per commenter till 1 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.

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 32, Sunday 30 Nov 2025, Incognito

ACROSS

8   King giving up no good electrical vehicle for starters. Capital! (4) KIEV {KIng}{El...c}{Ve...e}

9   Leaders of social media consume beverage producing water vapour (5)  STEAM {So...l}{TEA}{Me..a}

10 American's pull (4) YANK [DD]

11 Delta soil shortage (6) DEARTH {D}{EARTH}

12 Salesman returns after small journey for paint remover (8) STRIPPER {REP<=}<=>{S}{TRIP}

13 Shape changed before conflict in city (8) PESHAWAR {SHAPE*}{WAR}

15 Average in south-south-east is meagre (6) SPARSE {PAR} in {SSE}

17 First girl leaves cricketer Mike for boy on strike (7) BATTING (-g+b)BATTING

19 Stout soldier returning to take university exam initially shows tiredness (7) FATIGUE {FAT}{GI<=}{U}{Exam}

22 Saint hugged large plant in avenue (6) STREET {S{TREE}T}

24 Most speedy transport departs around one (8) RAPIDEST {RAP{1}DEST*}

26 Answer to get past father's scimitar, for example (8) PASSWORD {PAS}{SWORD}

28 Young lady inserted same erroneously in driving licence initially (6) DAMSEL {Dr...g}{SAME*}{Li...e}

30 Move prison (4) STIR [DD]

31 And organised Chief Engineer's ball! (5) DANCE {AND*}{CE}

32 None may produce gas! (4) NEON*

DOWN

1   Returning, sir, with a bit of experience to get up (4) RISE {SIR<=}{Ex...e}

2   Six balls host misplayed went beyond intended target (8) OVERSHOT {OVER}{HOST*}

3   Avoid prunes chewed to some extent (6) ESCHEW [T]

4   Church certain to include point for denouncement (7) CENSURE {CE}{N}{SURE}

5   In Asia, Mike and brother producing divine nourishment (8) AMBROSIA {A{M}{BRO}SIA}

6   Short-sightedness resulting from consumption of poi prepared in cooked yam (6) MYOPIA {MY{POI*}A*}

7   Perhaps, keen to produce a joint (4) KNEE*

14 Demand and obtain previous statute (5) EXACT {EX}{ACT}

16 Closes cabin in ship (5) SHUTS {S{HUT}S}

18 Strings supporting tennis barrier badly constructed... not cut... (3,5) NET CORDS {cONSTRuCtED}*

20 Popular, indeed, guy admitted without explaining at first (2,6) IN DEMAND {INDE{MAN}eD}

21 Free energy in explosive weapon (7) TRIDENT {T{RID}{E}NT}

23 European nurse to be dislodged! See to it! (6) ENSURE {E}{NURSE*}

25 Softly continued, "Cushioned" (6) PADDED [DD]

27 Performs in play from contract stage (4) ACTS [T]

29 So, about-turn for cupid? (4) EROS {SO}{RE}<=

Reference List

No = N, Good = G, Delta = D, Average = PAR, South-east = SE, Boy = B, University = U, Saint = ST, Church = CE, Point = N, Mike = M, Ship = SS, Energy = E, Explosive = TNT, European = E, About = RE

No 14652, Saturday 29 Nov 2025, Hypatia

 ACROSS
1 Temperature maintained in green home (6) NATIVE {NA{T}IVE}
4 Police respects symbols of authority (8) SCEPTRES*
9 Women competent to pick up river bird's call (6) WARBLE {W}{A{R}BLE}
10 Leaves actor in cast without line (8) CILANTRO {ACTOR IN}* over {L}

11 Try a lie in an imaginary world (7,7) VIRTUAL REALITY {TRY A LIE}* [RA]
13 Impressive hand washing fixture in an emperor's rest room? (5,5) ROYAL FLUSH [D&CD]

14 Traces of Indian dals (lentils) in rice cake (4) IDLI [Acrostic]
16 Report of auditor for 12 months (4) YEAR {~EAR}
18 Railing in support of  labour going West with American business (10) BALUSTRADE {LAB<}{US}{TRADE}

21 Reason for an Inuit to visit an Orthopedic? (6,8) FROZEN SHOULDER [CD]
23 Funny caption entertaining one visionary trader? (8) OPTICIAN {CAPTION}* around {I}
24 Salim Ali certainly showing hostility (6) MALICE [T]
25 Jeopardize outcome with resentment (8) ENDANGER {END}{ANGER}
26 Tough to read without writing (6) STURDY {STU{R}DY}

DOWN
1 Latest time for swimmer (4) NEWT {NEW}{T}

2 Shock from top of thermostat - essentially Air fryer's faulty (7) TERRIFY {Thermostat}{aIr FRYER}*
3 Restless love - it somehow captivates the French (8) VOLATILE {LOVE IT}* around {LA}
5 Artistic image using our chairs displayed in firm (11) CHIAROSCURO {OUR CHAIRS}* in{CO}

6 Layout next to a chiefly residential flat (6) PLANAR {PLAN}{A}{Residential}
7 Again, heard every other true story in Eid (7) RETRIED {tRuE sToRy In EiD} Typo in the on-line version. Eid is written as Eif
8 Second column implicating conservative plot (9) STORY LINE {S}{LINE} around {TORY}
12 Beginning from MacLean’s latest (1,5,5) A CLEAN SLATE [T]
13 Spooner's greeting in multiple threads offering glimpse of optimism (3,2,4) RAY OF HOPE {Spoonerism of Hey of Rope}
15 Rugged saint carrying sword in Delhi (8) STALWART {S{TALWAR}T}
17 Head of ashram spoiling odd pet taken in (7) ADOPTED {Ashram}{ODD PET}*
19 Had story writing workshop for artists (7) ATELIER {ATE}{LIE}{R}

20 Oddly added cocoa in plateau (6) DECCAN {aDdEd CoCoA iN}

22 Refuse dyeing each new yarn, basically(4) DENY [Acrostic]

Reference List

Temperature=T, Women=W, River=R, Line=L, Labour=Lab, American=US, One=1=I, Writing=R (from the 3 basic Rs: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic), Time=T, The French=La, Firm=Company=Co,  Second=S, Saint=St.

No 14647, Monday 24 Nov 2025, Mythical

Solution to 25A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Understand measure used by sailors (6) FATHOM [DD]

4   A couple of seconds, and Chatgpt e.g. basically creates artwork (6) MOSAIC {MO}{S}{AI}{Cr...s}

8   Infected model blacked out after striking head (7) TAINTED {T}{fAINTED}

9   Dame possibly wearing princess's ornaments (7) DIADEMS {DAMES}*<=>{DI} (Correction - {DI{DAME*}S} - See comments)

11 Arm Britons! Perhaps, this might solve the problem (10) BRAINSTORM*

12 It nurtures immense lands, Egypt primarily (4) NILE Acrostic &lit

13 Join unit controlled by setter (5) MERGE {M{ERG}E}

14 Reading about a plant with fragrant flowers (8) GARDENIA {READING}*{A}

16 Father a bit nostalgic after stories about fine years of existence (8) LIFESPAN {PA}{No...c}<=>{LI{F}ES}

18 Royal leaves - avoids parodies (5) SKITS SKIrTS

20 Essentially going around that US state (4) UTAH {tHAT+Us}<=

21 Had guests shot?! (6,4) PLAYED HOST {SHOT}* [RA]

23 Aristocrat admits lying about leading developer (7) PIONEER {P{NO1<=}EER}

24 Discussed reports in stages (7) STOREYS (~stories)

25 In auditorium, noticed player in spectacles (6) S?E?E? (Addendum - SCENES {(~seen)SCENE}{S} - See comments)

26 Song about alien traveller initially and princess in legendary ballet (6) ODETTE {OD{ET}{Tr...r}E}

DOWN

1   Extremely frightful appearance and style (5) FLAIR {Fr...uL}{AIR}

2   Port is more acidic (7) TANGIER [DD]

3   Fail to get up and go northward after cycling enthusiasts (9) OVERSLEEP {PEE<=}<=>{(-l)OVERS(+l)L}

5   Dislike quietly replacing daughter's drug (5) OPIUM O(-d+p)PIUM

6   Like well-cooked pasta and beer around study time (2,5) AL DENTE {AL{DEN}{T}E}

7   Criticises change, getting hold of member with note (9) COMPLAINS {CO{MP}{LA}INS}

10 Friendly convict getting cocktail of gin and ale (9) CONGENIAL {CON}{GIN+ALE}*

13 Takes care of leading saint abroad (9) MAINTAINS {MAIN}{SAINT*}

15 Esteemed doctor persecuted after rebuffing unionist (9) RESPECTED PERSECuTED*

17 Improve unit hospital area in front of new church (7) ENHANCE {EN}{H}{A}{N}{CE}

19 Receive from Will, perhaps? (7) INHERIT [CD]

21 Work in silence, they say (5) PIECE (~peace)

22 Ultimately, outfits must satisfy local taste and fashion (5) STYLE Tail acrostic

Reference List

Seconds = MO, S, Model = T, Princess = DI, Unit = ERG, Fine = F, Royal = R, Player = S(South), Alien = ET, Go = PEE< Quietly = P, Daughter = D, Time = T, Note = LA, Unionist = U, Unit = EN, Hospital = H, Area = A, New = N, Church = CE