Special, Thursday 07 Jul 2016, Pluralist

EID MUBARAK

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

ACROSS
1   City of buns - could be Turkish? (4)
3   Girl heard setter is behind bars for deliberate concealment of treason (10)
10 Trendy toffs uncovered a foul at snooker (2-3)
11 See sporty assortment in strains of microorganisms (9)
12 Distinctive umlaut is interchangeable (6)
13 Dead Levantine - or Argentine, perhaps - deceives the birds (8)
15 Torque for churning cheese (9)
17 Worship starts late after initial reservations materialise (5)
19 Shortened tests, primarily, enable X-ray analysis much sooner (5)
21 Edward the Little imbibes enough brew to be fortified (9)
23 Vehicle spun clear of the prison (8)
24 EU flow affected? That’s sad! (6)
27 Again provide short umpire with pot - and one’s husband! (9)
28 Spherical germs intermittently crop cacti (5)
29 Get subordinate to run (10)
30 Water pipe makes the sound of bell (4)

DOWN
1   Cooking arrangement for biscuit brand from Gustave’s 1 across (4-5)
2   Rowers’ bench - or berth - often containing... (5)
4   (&25 down) ...motheaten sofa to pick endlessly - necessarily! (4,5)
5   Inflated temporary structure has holey walls! (10)
6   Animated greetings uncovered by 21, for one (7)
7   Strong urge has little devil raving in Seoul – drug-free! (9)
8   Goal-oriented effort helps us in not holding back (5)
9   These days, Olga vacantly moves round about apartment (2,4)
14 Disagree with shrink eating half of diet (10)
16 Confused Frida comes into money divided into four parts (9)
18 Screaming about overuse of vigorous singing (9)
20 More transparent smears, oddly, about legendary lover (7)
22 Illicit liquor is a joke on Switzerland (6)
23 Symbol of plenitude cut in half by horn-like projection (5)
25 (see 2 down)
26 Avoid some fresh unrest (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at PLURALIST 7

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 16 Aug 2015, Pluralist

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

Note from Pluralist There is a not-so-hidden feature in the CW - please do not comment on it or disclose it till 12:30 PM, as it may spoil the fun a bit for those who haven't solved it yet.

ACROSS 
1   Turmoil as Nirad-babu's titular god confronts apostasy at last (7)
5   Autumn is short, flat, stagnant (6)
9   Part of this moolah turns patriot into last-ditch option of rascals (3)
11 Jinx cast on African country by young lad (7)
12 Confutation not about touching boundary (7)
13 An unpunctual Johnny, say, lifts flan (7)
15 Rift and strain for Bahraini flight company (7)
17 Callow lad finds total short by fifty (8)
19 Mangy cat lost in traumatic crash in courtyard (6)
21 Insignificant party missing mass (6)
22 "Just good pals," said old scholar (not, oddly, from Antioch) (8)
25 Boy without body odour standing in for missing pupil in dynamic Walmart track (7)
26 Hardy's crowd is infuriating! (7)
28 UK nationals find fictional python without a coach (7)
30 Gang taking half a banana to Babushka (7)
31 Starts work on outdoor court (3)
32 In Bulawayo, gin-imbibing woman in pursuit of wisdom? (6)
33 Rotund Bulbul bought top two trios for a shilling (7)

DOWN
1   Host swallows gourd marrow in ammunition dump (7)
2   Finally, almost finds cartographic compilation (5)
3   Discard a display without publicity to form an unsavoury impact (4,1,6)
4   Initially, Yang is not... (3)
6   ...protagonist of filmic trilogy cutting short faint star grouping (3)
7   Barking mad Tatar lion (9)
8   William of Langham (famous Romanist amassing many firsts), also known as W (7)
10 Chairman got up to display tropical fruit (5)
14 As shown in this way... (4)
16 ...alluding to "Tropic of Capricorn" and similar bars (11)
18 World body girding for pulling out support? (9)
20 Pick cushy tag for funny author (4)
21 Unskilfully? Outstandingly! (7)
23 Fraud talks boringly on radio with Paul Giraud, Camus, and Frapin, possibly (7)
24 Statutorily aids running of housing association? (5)
27 Passport, say, taking a half-hour in part of USA (5)
29 Drowning king on holiday is wrong (3)
30 Totally straightforward if this man's your aunt's husband (3)

Across Lite version can be accessed at PLURALIST 6

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 17 May 2015, Pluralist

Three answers per commenter (annotations compulsory) till 6 PM.
Please try and post all your answers in one comment

ACROSS
7   Zimbabwean rebels exile corrupt new bishop to northern country (6)
9   Rascal told to move trap (5-3)
10 Lock in recalled components of delayed products (4)
11 Quite unique research at NASA leads to discovery of the book (5)
12 Some Native American people returned to Malaysian city (4)
13 Skin condition in axial notch forms an even pattern (8)
14 Garner olibanum to produce essential citrus oil (6)
16 Pole featured in expansive new sports publication (6)
19 Indian independence achieved through campaign waged in South Africa and Japan (6)
22 Electorate gives unclear veto to Upper House (6)
24 Money return policy designed to encourage spending (8)
27 Craving for burger stuffing (4)
29 Eileen Boaz returned regularly to the white poplar (5)
30 Rhythmic pattern in a Lata composition (4)
31 Recollected a truism about Italian sweet (8)
32 Setter returns to collect flawed onyx from Cawnpore, for one (6)

DOWN
1   de Villiers initially despatched journalist, then stayed away (8)
2   Shakespearean ghost and an alien leaving formal dinner round (6)
3   Sad arcs choreographed in a Hungarian dance (7)
4   A large number of shelters may provide glimpses of new beginnings (8)
5   Stranger, not surprisingly, leaving lawless orienteer (6) (Clue corrected here as per Abhay's comments)
6   Some risks of a rotten card game (4)
8   Asking questions about Bedouins, Arab leaders reach a Jordanian port (5)
15 Half-a-league of arable land (3)
17 Provided no airborne article has known antecedents (3)
18 Gymnast Ali Qadir shown boxing in group of Eastern characters (8)
20 Drive mini-boat recklessly (8)
21 Pact due to be renewed went wrong (5,2)
23 Bird always found in Jamaica? Au contraire! (6)
25 Half-hearted setter reorganised ring for player (6)
26 Passionate cuckoo? That's absurd! (5)
28 Many real old coins in Portugal reissued without questionable dues (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at PLURALIST 5

Enjoy

Special, Sunday 22 Mar 2015, Pluralist

Three answers per commenter (annotations to be compulsorily provided with answer) till 6 PM.

ACROSS
1   Harrowingly lose initial round in a roundabout manner (10)
6   A feature in Dali's paintings turns air into skimpy underwear! (4)
10 Was not able to compute with obsolete storage format (7)
11 Mysterious clunk in empty karaoke joint (7)
12 Surface pairs of exudative octagonal rings nestle in glands not secreting directly into the blood (8)
13 French industrial town to the east was famous for fast deliveries (6)
15 Ordering tactics deployed by possible user of notorious couch? (7,8)
17 Turn around rowdy scrap – or turn down without a second thought (6,3,2,4)
20 To pour out is to wipe out… (6)
22 …remark about changing misconception at the outset (8)
25 Review routine location of expected arrival (2,5)
26 Where to in the company of the woman you picked up? (7)
27 Cattleman – that's right – hiding in Austrian city… (4)
28…is taking in Thailand rock band fanatics (10)
 
DOWN
1   Goddess of fortune in bounty chest (5)
2   This kind of noise on the radio could stun you - and me! (7)
3   Supports Juan's dreary primness uniformly (9)
4   Doing something wrong until atheist's assertion takes over (2,2,2,4)
5   Approve of third gospel omitting oral pronoun for the first person (4)
7   Twice mark item on Rorschach's test (7)
8   Unreliable federal report leaves a lot to be desired (9)
9   Spicy egg dish almost entirely for mongrel (4)
14 Bloom seen in haze over setters' river (10)
15 Caught provoking drunken revelry (9)
16 Odious discharge has rotten fume overwhelming six down with flu (9)
18 One down in Rome liking fish (7)
19 Descends with a gentle step at first (7)
21 Warning call to the spear side? (4)
23 Rules illustrating possible outcome of privatising British postal system? (5)
24 Play prank that hugely offends angry Xhosa leaders (4)

Across Lit version can be accessed at PLURALIST 4

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 01 Feb 2015, 6th Anniversary Prize Jumbo, Pluralist

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Since this is a prize crossword, no comments on the solutions to be shown anywhere on the blog. I will be moderating the comments between 10:30 AM on 01 Feb and 8:30 PM on 03 Feb so that no one inadvertently reveals a solution.

2.  Solutions may be sent to my e-mail : deepakgita@gmail.com in the following formats  :-

     (a) Screen shot or an image of the completed grid  or

     (b) As a word document (Annotated solutions will have to be in this format).

     

3.   Following prizes will be given.

    (a) Prize for all correct entry. This prize winner will be a random selection from the all correct entries.

    (b) Prize for the first entry with correct annotations (annos to match with those intended by the setter).

4.  Only one prize per head [to ensure that someone doesn't bag both :-)], by chance in case someone wins more than one then prize at (a) above will go to the second name thrown up in the random selection.

     

5.  Entries will be received till 8:30 PM (as per my computer clock) on 03 Feb 2015.

6.  Results with solutions will be displayed on the 6th anniversary of the blog i.e., at 8 AM on 04 Feb 2015. The regular blog of 04 Feb will appear at 9 AM.

7.   Each entry to be accompanied with a soft copy of your photograph, postal address and contact numbers.

8.  My decision as sole judge (I have my wife's permission to say so), will be final and binding and cannot be contested in any court :-)

9.   And last but not the least, thanks to Abhay for sending this in and letting me use it as the Anniversary special.

ACROSS 
10 Moulds the mind within sea animals (11)
12 Uropod cut in half just in the insect's abdomen (7)
13 Winged sandals cast at a liar (7)
14 Less common to find odd ages regularly taking on the three Rs (5)
15 Grow less intimate apart, or lightly sleep off? (5)
16 Found on side A, "Taken In" possibly makes Nell agog (4,3)
17 3/5 of 22 and 2/3 of 10 add up to a short story (5)
18 Small rodent eats Indian cloth (5)
19 Avid one excitedly referring to a mole (7)
21 Singer Bruce led Aqua's comeback, essentially (5)
23 Parasite strain caught (5)
24 Capital city known for Rebus puzzles? (9)
26 Follower perhaps reunited disbanded hitmen (9)
29 Gnome, too, oddly followed Hollande's word (5)
32 Order setter, perhaps, to undertake a journey in hiding (5)
34 Minute aquatic organisms seen in north-east Texas city after evaporation of under-hydrogenated water (7)
35 Publish a central depiction of an old Germanic letter (5)
36 Infatuation a high-ranking officer had for a butterfly (5)
37 One is against a person deseeding cotton (7)
38 Post office suppresses steamy picture (5)
39 That's a good beginning, Bill! (5)
40 In Switzerland, a long line wears an expression of disbelief at finding bread for the Sabbath (7)
41 Surround swimmer when troubled at first (7)
42 Locks set in motion by sensitive mechanism (4,7)

DOWN
1   Novel describing able collector of incredible facts? Not really (3,8,2,6)
2   Manage lien turning up lots of money in Africa (10)
3   Special bread dessert picked up for explosive variant of Russian mixed drink? (6,4)
4   Half of them called for a Mass in 24 (6)
5, 25 Tipsy metal worker preceded by almost aristocratic writer (8,9)
6   A stance taken when parrying detailed query about untenanted redevelopment of the lot (6)
7   Wander around military college with principal leading way to African building (8)
8   Drain out dense, fixed concrete (8)
9   "Quarter it", two women echo, finding direction before being stuck in the middle (7,4,3,5)
11,33 Odder representation of Sinatra on film and book (9,2,1,5)
20 Put up with malfunctioning cloak for Robert Englund initially (5)
22 Last flaw in erstwhile unwilling guest (2-3)
25 (see 5 down)
27 Circa 50 CE, Il Duce exiled criminal cell where all were involved, it is found, in cases of rape (6,4)
28 That devilish study, for example, contains bronze orb and trunk (10)
30 Reflection of standard chronograph display comprising, say, three digits? (3,2,3)
31 When done with a quick but thorough look… (4-4)
33 (see 11 down)
36 …find folios in a heap of rubbish (6)
37 Writer, given names, censored and edited so automatically! (6)

Across Lite version can be accessed at 6th Anniversary Prize Jumbo

All the best.

Special, Sunday 22 Jun 2014, Pluralist

As usual three answers per commenter with annotations till 6 PM

ACROSS
6.    P eddle beer on foot, being abandoned (6)
8. O n the rocks from 1AD! (3)
9. E mploy captured soldier, about 50, to turn over (American farm, perhaps?) (4)
10. M etal eating metal? That's hot! (4)
11. S ignified by going after headless campers as well as... (3)
12. ...elite river? (6)
13,18 R ewrite mad recipe, Horace - do it now! (5,4)
14. O ne brings many together by confining her within? (9)
18. [See 13a]
20. B athroom fittings from the Mughal Gardens collection? (5)
21. E cstatic over the green cheese ball? (4)
23. R etaining licence, arrives to provide navigation instruments (9)
25. T he setback in iron imports may be trivial... (5)
28.     ...but deputy law officer detains family for questioning (6)
30.     F orces replacing PC persons on chair and spokes (3)
31. R ook in tender response to avian specimen (4)
32. O pen heart, chant, open eyes - you're in! (4)
33. S tems from one's resolve to get odd floors (3)
34. T ake back sample of remblai rubble for landfill? (6)

DOWN
1. Regularly timed exits cast link leading to North American state capital (8)
2. Stay, little prince, and lament (6)
3. Double creates a dilemma (4)
4. Ill-earned penny given to little creature (4)
5. Tramp's times – or ours (6)
7. Tritium beam on a platter (4)
9. Plan for British version taking on setter (7)
15. Recall part of Caddel's iambic passage (5)
16. Potato dish identified with tag (4)
17. Slips, drops or slips up (4)
19. Mother fish taking student with cartographic features (7)
22. Not a detour? We're off, then (2,3,3)
24. Footwear for a leather supplier (6)
26. Natural DNA ribbon modified to eliminate bad parts (6)
27. Rebuff Bath rolls? (4)
29. Hook-headed giant albacore feeds four (4)
30. Defaces fourth rock (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at the following link PLURALIST 2

Enjoy.

Special, Sunday 11 May 2014, Pluralist

Welcome to our new setter Pluralist.
Three answers per commenter (with annotations) as usual till 6 PM
Positive comments / brickbats are welcome for encouragement / improvement.

ACROSS

2     Article on contentious Heights for African national (7)

6     Famous singer on first-name terms with retired Prime Minister (4)

11   Fully awake now, but was diligent before dropping peeled lentil (9)

12   A copy marked to the artist reaches African capital (5)

13   Ignored Parisian sibling appearing in public as sand rabbit (9)

14   On the Nile with Agatha, comes to Pemberly with Phyllis, from Doon with Ruth (5)

15   A Rand by any other name? (3)

16   Leave 'im? Quite the opposite, said the carpenter (6)

Cartoon by Rishi

18   Top half of pillar gets military rank, in short (3)

20   Carnatic concert featuring “Road to Perdition”? Initially, perhaps (3)

22   Announcers change order of opening trios in ersatz Crimea (6)

23   Twice beginning Indian studies (3)

25   Tumult when Aussie bowler adopts Greystoke style of introduction (5)

26   Shed frenzy? Can politicians do it while campaigning? (9)

28   Dressed to the mint chocolate thins? (5)

29   Defining defence negatively could evoke this response (4,5)

30   Freedom fighter in free translation (4)

31   As Head of Government replaces first King, smugglers become shooters (7)

DOWN

1     May sit on the porch having Indian tea and finishing thriller  (4,5)

3     Loudly kiss sailor– it tastes divine! (6)

4     Nullity atop nullity gives shape of layer’s output (5)

5     First letters and then TV show consuming Mark – he’s not voting (9)

7     Old-fashioned body of spies turning up under dome (7)

8     Flooded Alpha existed earlier as Hotel (5)

9     All together in international alliance with one offspring (6)

10   Bird raged fitfully with a bit of noise creeping in – take a look! (6)

17   Originally vibrant Indian music becoming unusually noisy during University inaugurations, we got ethnic group from country of 2 (9)

19   1 walks in after 9 have walked (4,3,2)

21   Cut off tail before cooking antelope with cornmeal (7)

22   Laxman’s Rekha may keep the bastman safe (6)

23   Tolerates (no resistance) from black crows (6)

24   Rolling back, Jagannath’s rath simply reveals Assyrian deity (6)

25   Adam the First, coming and going endlessly, nourished travellers in the desert (5)

27   Headless Japanese warrior? (5)

Across Lite version can be accessed at the following link PLURALIST 1

Enjoy.