No 12500, Tuesday 18 Dec 2018, Arden

ACROSS
1   Doctor met in person — one way to describe God (11) OMNIPRESENT*
7   Short snappy dog (3) CUR CURt
9   Land reclaimed in Kola peninsula (5) NEPAL [T<=]

10 River's got a name, flows in a desert (9) PATAGONIA {PA{GOT+A+N}*I}{A} (Addendum also {P{A}{TAG}O}{IN+A}* - See comments)
11 Untidy at home, 10 becomes shabby (4-5) MOTH-EATEN {AT+HOME}*{TEN}
12 Free to grab a pawn quick (5) RAPID {R{A}{P}ID}
13 Anything goes, but nothing to create a bouquet (7) NOSEGAY {N{GOES*}AY}
15 Crossover divine lover (4) EROS<=
18 Half the arrivals back in the race (4) SLAV arriVALS<=
20 To be sent back to Netherlands — nothing but a tragedy (7) OTHELLO {TO<=}{HELL}{O}
23 Scrub overheads, hardly amount to anything (5) LOOFA {A}{FOOL}<= (Addendum - {LOO}{FA} - See comments)
24 Foreign countries are extremely foolish (9) CRETINOUS*
26 Action at a resort ends in a stupor (9) CATATONIA*
27 Appeal for daily mass (5) CHARM {CHAR}{M}
28 Outstanding pair, third one has become old (3) DUE DU(-o+e}E
29 Chicken on a rock in the park (11) YELLOWSTONE {YELLOW}{STONE}

DOWN
1   Nothing in Times about people — it should provide some relief (8) OINTMENT {O}{IN}{T{MEN}T}
2   Favouritism shows up in all forms — it opens doors (8) NEPOTISM [T<=]
3   Keen to get a point to beat (5) PULSE {PUL{S}E}
4   Pay them pounds, it shows you care (7) EMPATHY*
5   Understanding double entry, key lines erased (7) ENTENTE {ENTry}{ENTry}{E}
6   Woolly bear once became more tight (5,4) TIGER MOTH*

7   Able to copy a piece of furniture (6) CANAPE {CAN}{APE}

8   Warn about saying yes in Russian country (6) RWANDA {WARN*}{DA}

14 It can provide everyone inside a lift — showing valour (9) GALLANTRY {G{ALL}ANTRY}
16 Seldom exposed — taking road transport to a land of plenty (8) ELDORADO {sELDOm}{ROAD*}
17 Comes on freely, Frenchman lands in soup (8) CONSOMME {M} in {COMES+ON}*

19 Name in a civil dispute is local (7) VICINAL {N} in {A+CICIL}*
20 Only animal reared with herb (7) OREGANO {O}{ONAGER<=}
21 First check in, check out, stay cool (6) PLACID {PLA{Ch..k}ID}
22 State support needed to grow a beard... (6) GOATEE {GOA}{TEE}

25 ...if detailed by old South Americans (5) INCAS {IN CASe}

GRID

No 12499, Monday 17 Dec 2018, Arden

ACROSS
6   King will repent allowing one side and keeping other side out (5) RULER {RU{L}E}{R}
7   Starts and finishes clue (8) ACROSTIC [CD]
10 China does deal with democracies (7) CERAMIC dEMoCRACIes* [CA]
11 Jagger's half hearted self introduction, it's all hype (7) GIMMICK (gee){G}{I'M MICK}
12 Against crossing borders to find shade (7) CRIMSON {C{RIMS}ON}
13 Every other runner in Asia perhaps is serious (7) EARNEST {EA{RuNnEr}ST}
14 Expensive car seen regularly in front of house, they are materialistic (11) MERCENARIES {MERC}{sEeN}{ARIES}
19 Poles go through characteristic passage (7) TRANSIT {TRA{N}{S}IT}
21 Spooner's delivery — trifle below the chest, perhaps (7) TALLBOY (-b+t)TALL(-t+b)BOY

23 Do break a slate, it can be felt with your hands (7) TACTILE {T{ACT}ILE}
25 Irish lass joined this to make clothesline (7) COLLEEN CLOthEsLiNE* [CA]
26 Critic of European view is restricted (8) POLEMIST {POLE}{MIST}
27 Only role of abstract paintings (2,3) OP ART {O}{PART}

DOWN
1   Muralist's representation of selflessness (8) ALTRUISM*
2   Bishop's cooking stove (6) PRIMUS [DD]
3   Rebel in country without independence — not in perhaps Africa (10) MALCONTENT {MALi}{CONTinENT}
4   Dress up and show off (4) BRAG<=
5   Find the God within you (6) DIVINE [DD]
6   Promote choice of businesses which are ostentatious (6) ROCOCO {OR<=}{CO}{CO}
8   Warrior and sailor — 50% have a booze up (7) SAMURAI {SA{A+RUM<=}Ilor}
9   Fish slide on ice (5) SKATE [DD]
13 Give some wine in the Spanish city (10) ELASTICITY {EL}{ASTI}{CITY}
15 I have to support others who are nervous (7) RESTIVE {REST}{I'VE}
16 Ear swabs used as a tool (5,3) SABRE SAW*
17 9 asks for tea instead of cocktail, say (5) STATE S(-k+t)TATE
18 Ends with classic ugly duckling — on screen it's a young swan (6) CYGNET {c...iC}{uglY}{d...nG}{NET}
20 Change Cochin port in the middle of it all to moor the ship (6) ANCHOR {chANge}{coCHin}{pORt}
22 See election coming up, move slowly (6) LOLLOP {LO}{POLL<=}
24 Go with old vermouth (4) EXIT {EX}{IT} IT/Vermouth?

GRID

Special, Sunday 16 Dec 2018, Karthikeyan

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

PREAMBLE

This crossword variant has two extra features added to the standard THC and the instructions to solve are given below:

1.  Each starred four letters clue’s wordplay indicates one extra leading/trailing letter not required in its solution; 

for e.g. if the clue reads " Amusement with small wine (4) " wordplay leads us to the answer SPORT; delete the first letter S from SPORT and fit the grid with PORT as the solution;  

The letter deletion could be leading or trailing in the answer got from wordplay; solver has to make the appropriate decision on which letter should be deleted as per the solution grid; Also the resultant four letters arrived at will be meaningful

All such 4-letter clues are in bold font and starred. Rest of the clues are to be solved in normal manner.

2.  Identify two important observations after solving the grid. (Answer to this to be given only after all the clues are solved in the comments section)

ACROSS
8   Derek O'Brien, pretty rough at first in introducing unknown graduates (10)
9   Bloody streak gets a British into trouble (4) *
10 Tough tin battered and fastened by zip (6)
11 Go beyond, dismissed light producer (8)
12 More snail-like carrying a pair of frogs to reach a bloomer (9)
16 Obfuscate breed bit me leaving odd traces (5)
19 Give respect to female born in Kuala Lumpur (4) *
21 No frills ladies' top unitard is so long (5)
22 See, French against court room cry (4) *
23 Absolut product of eggs from Denmark consumed in Virginia (5)
24 A medal won by such a decree in hindsight is heart-rending (9)
27 A gun fall shot by a winter sport (8)
30 Wild animal's seesaw act possibly (6)
32 Colourful unknown variable about bird (4) *
33 From 1st July post office tax dues perhaps should be placed side by side (10)

DOWN
1   Half of the team in the capacity of a crop destroyer (6)
2   Hungary islamic prayer call for cantor (4) *
3   Candlelike half warm chromosomes (4)
4   Saw a mirror image from the bottoms (4) *
5   Credit without interest given for ancient instrument (5)
6   Six minicomputers of yore process the cause for malaria (4) *
7   Understand the crux of every piece while playing (8)
13 Lunatic France wins Belgium in fight (5)
14 End of import sanction for wine from Europe (4) *
15 Supplementing, say, family's input (5)
17 Flees directionlessly to locate a marine animal (5)
18 Aussie aboriginal spirit killed an article to transmute into goose (4) *
20 Modern heathen's one frightful commander in borders of Pakistan (8)
25 Ajinkya Rahane ate rotis in some measure to become trimmer (6)
26 Muslim pilgrim is leading horses after Jeddah jackpot is flagged off (5)
28 Coagulate outside Arizona into Turkish music  (4) *
29 Slippery part of onyx offered is brought back (4)
30 Every other able faculty is praiseworthy (4) *
31 Bowled by a high ball, scored nothing (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at KARTHIK 7

Enjoy.

The Sunday Crossword No 3026, Sunday 16 Dec 2018

ACROSS
1   A loveless attitude in part of church? (4) APSE {A}{PoSE}
3   Juice oozed and maybe went to the ground (8) STUMBLED {STUM}{BLED}
10 Endless wine with party in Italian city stadium (9) ASTRODOME {ASTi}{RO{DO}ME}
11 Nonsense about retiring player (5) ACTOR {ROT}{CA}<=
12 Flier restricted by weather once (5) HERON [T]
13 Gloomy feeling, low, eats heart of loser (9) MOODINESS {MOO}{DINE{loSer}S}
14 Girl is very good about drink – there's a lot of water in it (11) MISSISSIPPI {MISS}{IS}{SIP}{PI}
18 Remissness from priest taken in by dodgy doctrine (11) DERELICTION {DER{ELI}CTION*}
21 Meet bridge opponents in front of bar (9) ENCOUNTER {E}{N}{COUNTER}
23 Animal caught in rain, dripping (5) INDRI [T]
24 Tension, missing opening? It's hairy (5) TRESS sTRESS
25 What bowler needs joining cricket side – to be alert (2,3,4) ON THE BALL {THE BALL} after {ON}
26 More unusual ordeal, most unfriendly in manner (8) REMOTEST {MORE*}{TEST}
27 Confusion in words transmitted, short of time (4) MESS MESSage

DOWN
1   Hate a man being nasty, much disliked person (8) ANATHEMA*
2   Mock one rebel, having posed first (8) SATIRISE {SAT}{1}{RISE}
4   Mark the man who provides such reliable evidence? (3,6,5) THE GOSPEL TRUTH [C&DD]
5   Ambition rising, I'm turning up in American city (5) MIAMI {AIM<=}{I'M<=}
6   Communication in character from landlord (6) LETTER [MD]
7   Compulsion of the upper classes to appear in finery? (6) DURESS {D{U}RESS}
8   County ramble going in direction of gale (8) DOWNWIND {DOWN}{WIND}
9   One with false tears I observed in place in parliament expressing condolences (14) COMMISERATIONS {COMM{1}{TEARS*}{I}ONS}
15 Disposed to be at home – a hundred and wrinkled (8) INCLINED {IN}{C}{LINED}
16 What could baffle e.g. dim man? (4,4) MIND GAME* Semi&lit
17 Soldiers perhaps around hostile eastern islands (8) ANTILLES {ANT{ILL}{E}S}
19 Explosive Conservative – Conservative almost becoming bully (6) HECTOR {HE}{C}{TORy}
20 Cry from cats finally getting best milk (6) SCREAM {catS}{CREAM}
22 Ahead, prepared for trouble (5) UPSET {UP}{SET}

GRID