No.11153, Saturday 2 Aug 2014, From the files of Sankalak

Like fine wine, with time Sankalak's offerings are becoming more delectable. Today's was as good as any especially with clues like OFTENER, SPINNER, CALLOUS and PANDA.

ACROSS
1 Cleansed, fried dish administered to one inside (8) PURIFIED [fried dish=PURI + administered=FED outside one=I]
5 Giant grass, once used in a Chinese curtain (6) BAMBOO [CD]
10 Marine food for some poor merrymakers (5) ORMER [T]

11 Protection for authors from duplicate title (9) COPYRIGHT [duplicate=COPY + title=RIGHT]
12 Exactitude needed in copiers spelt out (9) PRECISION [IN COPIERS]*
13 It gets a rubbing on the bower’s strings (5) ROSIN [CD]
14 Stiff with age, prisoner with privileges loses head (5) RUSTY [prisoner with privileges=tRUSTY]
16 Top cover for the chief with flaming rage (8) HEADGEAR [chief=HEAD + RAGE*]
18 Cheeky talk by footballer before tea time (8) BACKCHAT [footballer=BACK + tea=CHA + Time]
20 Relaxed, with disease diagnosed partially (5) EASED [T]
24 Twisted towel for a little hooter? (5) OWLET [TOWEL]*
25 It is added at the end to follow cessation of war, we hear (9) TAILPIECE [follow=TAIL + ~PEACE=cessation of war]
27 Soldiers’ steps, not quick, in a rather dull month (4,5) SLOW MARCH [rather dull=SLOW + month=MARCH]
28 For a Keralite, a currency in Africa (5) NAIRA [Keralite=NAIR + A]

29 Dislike extremes of enervation during relaxation (6) RESENT [EnervatioN inside relaxation=REST]
30 Artist, sent back, fumed about new kind of marriage (8) ARRANGED [artist=RA<- + fumed=RAGED outside New]

DOWN
1 The first in school, in the right environment, would do well (7) PROSPER [School inside right=PROPER]
2 Kind of spectacles with no edge to them (7) RIMLESS [CD]
3 A grim reference turned up revealing the name of famous physicist (5) FERMI [T<-]
4 Father of geometry in a city in Ohio (6) EUCLID [DD]
6 Facility for fliers — ambience and game (3,6) AIR BRIDGE [ambience=AIR + game=BRIDGE]
7 By-product of sugar, vapour found in the root (7) BAGASSE [vapour=GAS inside root=BASE]

8 Laundering aid, without a hint of soap more frequently (7) OFTENER [laundering aid=sOFTENER]
9 He gets a turn, on or off (7) SPINNER [CD]
15 My hats can be adjusted for this sailor (9) YACHTSMAN [MY HATS CAN]*
17 It goes with assault in a threat of physical attack (7) BATTERY [CD]
18 Computer program that turns worse in Britain (7) BROWSER [WORSE* inside BRitain]

                                                                                              Cartoons by Rishi

19 Everyone in business (American) is unfeeling (7) CALLOUS [everyone=ALL inside business=CO + American=US]
21 Process that precedes reaping (7) SEEDING [CD]
22 Archconservative who may have a difficult end? (7) DIEHARD [CD]
23 Humour, that girl’s, could become stale (6) WITHER [humour=WIT + that girl's=HER]
26 Priest in India, as well in Pennsylvania (5) PANDA [as well=AND inside PennsylvaniA]

No.11152, Friday 01 Aug 2014, From the files of Sankalak

It is always a pleasure to blog a Sankalak puzzle

ACROSS
1 Last month, the French engineer was to make an announcement (7) DECLARE (DEC LA RE)
5 Set free the backward wickedness borne by the German (7) DELIVER (LIVER on DE) (VILE< in DER) See comments
9 Famous painting by Raphael (7,3,5) MADONNA AND CHILD (GK)

10 Isolated area that may get hot somehow (6) GHETTO (GET HOT)*
11 Actor, not really antagonistic to the lead player (8) ANTIHERO (CD)
13 Sound first heard by caller from a singer suppressed by agitated Enid (4,4) DIAL TONE (ALTO in ENID*)
          This sound is now heard only by some of us dinosaurs who are sometimes immobile
15 Away in Baroda, lost (6) ABROAD (BARODA*)
18 Engineer in favour of starting evaluation in advance (6) BEFORE (BE FOR E)
19 Dawn marking a 24-hour recess (8) DAYBREAK (DAY BREAK)
22 He enlivens the soul, reversing decay (8) ANIMATOR (ANIMA ROT<)
24 Nothing very stupid in this Danish city (6) ODENSE (O DENSE)
27 Where to read to find hidden meaning in the text (7,3,5) BETWEEN THE LINES (CD)
          Reading between the lines, I'd say our cartoonists are obsessed with lines (curves or otherwise) and things between them, and rightly so ...

Cartoon by Rishi

Cartoon by Bhargav

28 Final stage of play to finish what is hunted (3,4) END GAME (END GAME)

29 Blunder by a girl, backing a cat perhaps (7) MISSTEP (MISS PET<)

DOWN
1 Journal (English) kept by father is spoilt (7) DAMAGED (MAGazine E in DAD)
2 Core group has to worry about daughter (5) CADRE (CARE about D)
3 He makes explanatory notes on “Art at Noon” perhaps (9) ANNOTATOR (ART AT NOON)*
4 Enthusiasm shown by an angel animatedly (4) ELAN (T)
5 Racket at home over a bit of gracious eating (6) DINING (DIN IN G)
6 Fruit for one lunch — it is prepared with nut removed (5) LICHI (1 LUNCH IT-NUT)*
7 Verbal expression of support or otherwise in the House (5,4) VOICE VOTE (GK)
8 The growth that a revolutionary courted without energy (7) REDWOOD (RED WOOED - E)
12 Worker upsets Indian state authorities initially (3) ANT (TN A)<
14 With botched facelift, daughter is distressed (9) AFFLICTED (FACELIFT* D)
16 Innocent, childlike women, playthings for little kids (4,5) BABY DOLLS (2)
17 Mechanical device found in English river (3) CAM (2)
18 Beginning to bluster, mob is in a brawl (7) BRABBLE (B RABBLE)
20 See punk disgraced in a riotous party (5-2) KNEES UP (SEE PUNK)*
21 British measure that could recoil (6) BOUNCE (B OUNCE)
23 A haven accommodating the oat grass (5) AVENA (T)
25 Musicians finding unity in the books (5) NONET (ONE in NT)
26 Sudden change of mind of wife over that man (4) WHIM (W HIM)

GRID :

A bonus cartoon from Rishi for yesterday's prime phrase*

* Typing this I wondered how a seraph* can be debriefed after an earthly mission if he went commandoin the first palc ...