No 11090, Wednesday 21 May 2014, Sankalak

Wonder why TH has deleted the word 'From the files of'? Notwithstanding we are delighted to get to solve his masterpieces

ACROSS
1    Declare as true notice by adjudicator (7) ADJUDGE {AD}{JUDGE}
5    Kind of infection caused by a microbe mutating right away (7) AMOEBIC {A}{MICrOBE*}
9    English county where you find cherubim shaking wildly (15) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE*
10 A baby in the works? (6) EMBRYO [CD]
11 Off balance, politician retreated and allied with a group (8) LOPSIDED {POL<=}{SIDED}
13 What Robin Hood might have liked to do at show’s end? (4,1,3) TAKE A BOW [C&DD]

15 Loved one with the right for a protective shield (6) ARMOUR {A{R}MOUR}
18 Cruel or murderous (6) BLOODY [E]
19 The Almighty backs and follows helper, one who helps show the way (5,3) GUIDE DOG {GUIDE} {DOG<=}
22 A reasonable target of attack in straightforward sport (4,4) FAIR GAME {FAIR} {GAME}
24 Sphere of work of maid on training (6) DOMAIN*
27 Convenience for smoker who won’t touch tobacco? (9,6) CIGARETTE HOLDER [CD]

                                                                                               Cartoon by Rishi
28 Same as faithfulness, allegiance (7) LOYALTY [E]
29 Kind of glass that could reveal one’s future? (7) CRYSTAL [DD]

                                                                                      Cartoon by Bhargav

DOWN
1    Ban item surreptitiously going round (7) AMBIENT*
2    Name of a conservative in position (5) JACOB {J{A}{C}OB}
3    I’d aid Mary training to be a worker in a milk unit (9) DAIRYMAID*
4    Rich in breakfast foods, say, generally hollow (4) EGGY {EG}{GenerallY}
5    Female warrior or a male drinking up a very small amount (6) AMAZON {A}{MA{ZO<=}N}
6    Expels American found in military training establishment (5) OUSTS {O{US}TS}
7   The old bend, if lacking energy and treated, may deprive one of judgment (9) BLINDFOLD {OLD+BeND+IF}* One L missing in the fodder
8    Cheese for an Ibsen girl in Costa Rica (7) CHEDDAR {C{HEDDA}R}
12 Bed in company time! (3) COT {CO}{T} Lucky people!
14 No wife in regal protection would be in full awareness (9) KNOWINGLY {K{NO}{W}INGLY}
16 Sound receiver record close to decay in this science (9) RADIOLOGY {RADIO}{LOG}{decaY}
17 Dismissing society in a trick the French way (3) RUE RUsE
18 In the lab, foci get adjusted in such a lens (7) BIFOCAL*
20 Normal animal categories beginning to languish (7) GENERAL {GENERA}{L}
21 Workshop in technical institution set in modest surroundings (6) SMITHY {S{MIT}HY}
23 Himalayan creature located right in the end (5) GORAL {GO{R}AL}

25 Inspection of German car before time (5) AUDIT {AUDI}{T}
26 He fights for money and a posh car (4) MERC [DD]

No 11089, Tuesday 20 May 2014, Mac

Welcome Mac, an excellent opener. Like Kishore stated yesterday, another graduate from the THCC academy.

          You might be seeing the Niagara,

          Or lazing on the French Riviera,

          Sipping a fresh lime.

          Go back before time,

          "Mac", and you’ll end up getting a camera.

          You might have played Spassky,

          You might have ridden a husky,

          Ad infinitum,

          But the minimum,
          We expect from a "Mac", is some whiskey.

                                                               Kishore

ACROSS
1   It keeps one down-to-earth (1-5) G-FORCE [CD]
5   Secret session about withholding outdated currency (8) SESTERCE [T<=]

9   Fe or Li’s period of radioactive decay (4-4) HALF-LIFE {LI+FE}*/2
10 Is a snotty person full of it? (6) MUCOUS [CD]
11 He discerns the state of the atmosphere by processing raw methane (10) WEATHERMAN*

12 Garland on a princess (4) LEIA {LEI}{A}
13 Disgust expressed in ensuing merriment (8) LAUGHTER {LA{UGH}TER}
16 Talent can be hidden (6) LATENT*
17 He’s let off from responsibility (6) MANTLE {MAN}{LET*}
19 Disadvantage of guzzling a primarily straight alcoholic drink endlessly (not a gin cocktail) (8) DOWNSIDE {DOWNing}{S}{cIDEr}
21 Man city (4) MALE [DD]
22 Repressed criminal arrested, held in (10) RESTRAINED {RESTRA{IN}ED*}
25 A bunch of characters in Java, perhaps (6) STRING [CD]
26 Upset about a boy having primarily secret affairs (8) LIAISONS {LIA<=}{1}{SON}{S}
27 Pilot is inwardly strict, in a cold-hearted manner (8) FRIGIDLY {F{RIGID}LY}
28 English setter, with onset of Salmonellosis, is throwing up (6) EMESIS {E}{ME}{S}{IS}

DOWN
2   Animal trapped in iron structure (5) FRAME {F{RAM}E}
3   Primarily, replace equipment functioning improperly, that is, overhaul (5) REFIT Acrostic
4   Renowned specialist admitted me in, by accident (7) EMINENT {E{MINE*}NT}
5   Ocean (French ocean) drowns model ship (7) STEAMER {S{T}EA}{MER}
6   With a change of direction, discussion becomes innovative (7) SEMINAL SEMINA(-r+l)L
7   Mushrooms expired, stuffed into cases improperly (9) ESCALATES {ESCA{LATE}S*}
8   Warned against free education (9) CAUTIONED*
14 Mineral obtained from devastated blast area (9) ALABASTER*
15 Lunatic raging about the congress (9) GATHERING {GA{THE}RING*}
18 Madly angered (7) ENRAGED*
19 Criticise drama show (7) DISPLAY {DIS}{PLAY}
20 Struggle with food served up raw, at first (7) WARFARE {WAR<=}{FARE}
23 Problem child (5) ISSUE [DD]

                                                                                         Cartoon by Bhargav

24 Dissatisfaction arising from lack of excitement over gaming console, so it’s said (5) ENNUI (~ on wii) Never knew that Ennui was pronounced as (~ on we)