Friday 29 March 2024

No 14135, Friday 29 Mar 2024, Avtaar

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY
All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS
1   Launch of trek - two years across Indian desert that is extremely oppressive (7) TYRANNY {Trek}{Y}{RANN}{Y}
5   Stoned master's locked up in tent (7) SMASHED {S{MAS}HED}
10 Retrograde act of Board (4) FOOD {DO}{OF}<=
11 Old British dailies covering case of extortion frequently (10) OFTENTIMES {O}{FT}{Ex...oN}{TIMES}
12 Stopped by firm, Unionist gets nothing free (6) UNCOIL {U}{N{CO}IL}
13 Keeps out previous suggestions about introduction of democracy (8) EXCLUDES {EX}{CLU{De...y}ES}
14 Prolixity in obitsVery inappropriate! (9) VERBOSITY*
16 Surveys to cut upper-class taxes (5) SCOTS SCOuTS 
17 Guerrilla tactics to hold back any which way (2,3) AT ALL [T<=]
19 Pitch in exact point about things to be accomplished (2-2,5) TO-DO LISTS {LIST} in {SO DOT}<= 
23 Special, large power supply circuits organised to reverse traffic jams (5-3) SNARL-UPS {S}{L}{UPS} over {RAN<=}
24 Banks in control and constantly perceptive (6) CLEVER {Co,,,oL}{EVER}
26 Clear description of Company chairperson's position, perhaps? (5-5) ABOVE-BOARD [DD]
27 Opening in starboard on Hector's barge (4) SCOW {St...d}{COW}
28 Infamous despot, provided refuge by Omani maidis making a comeback (3,4) IDI AMIN [T<=]
29 Slander, according to some, lacking substance (7) ASPERSE {AS PER}{SomE}

DOWN
2   Capital's magical ... and you end in paradise (7) YAOUNDE {AND+YOU+p...sE}*
3   Luxury car with ultimate in stereo sound (5) AUDIO {AUDI}{s...eO}
4   New bags for mugs (7) NOODLES {N}{OODLES}
6   Bully Avtaar is carrying raised stick (6) MENACE {M{CANE<=}E}
7   Trimmed Hibiscus chain evenly set out in Japanese decoration material (9) SHIBUICHI  {HIBISCUs+cHaIn}*
8   Peak is most demanding with summit obscured (7) EVEREST sEVEREST
9   Worries picked up by model amidst a long, unending spell of concentration (9,4) ATTENTION SPAN {(~tension)(TENTION}{T} in {A}{SPAN}
15 London suburb reached through European capital first, after bypassing Germany (9) BELGRAVIA {VIA}<=>{BELGRAde}
18 Spooner folded Edward's camp cot (4,3) TENT BED (~bent ted to tent bed)
20 Instructions to computers hidden in poems by wacky cop (7) OPCODES {ODES}<=>{COP}*
21 Short photset customised for crème de la crème (3,4) THE TOPS {PHOTo+SET}
22 "Mother India" captivates retired sailor in Bollywood location (6) MUMBAI {MUM}{AB<=}{I}
25 Follow tennis Queen regularly (5) ENSUE {tEnNiS+qUeEn}

Reference List
Year = Y, Old = O, British dailies = FT, TIMES, Unionistv = U, Upper-class = U, Special = S, Large = L, New = N, Model = T, Germany = DE, India = I, Sailor =AB


Thursday 28 March 2024

No 14134, Thursday 28 Mar 2024, Hypatia

Solution to 20A 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
Skilful American surgeon starts to operate in theatre (6) ADROIT {A}{DR}{Op...e}{In}{Th...e}
9   Shift and say nothing to intimate friend (5,3) ALTER EGO {ALTER}{EG}{O}
10 Harry - old, loyal and crazy (8) DOOLALLY*
11 Burning daughter's saved by hero struggling with time (3-3) RED-HOT {D} in {HERO}*{T}
12 Sanctions loud speeches after conflict (8) WARRANTS {RANTS}<=>{WAR}
13 Can exercise beginning from dumbbells be repeated (6) LOOPED {LOO}{PE}{Du...s}
14 Small animal's a sweet runner, per Spooner (7) MEERKAT (~ kheer mat to meerkat)
17 Building used if Iceland's quarantined (7) EDIFICE [T]
20 Drink helping king out (6) ?O?I?N (Addendum - POTION POrTION - See comments)
22 Say, front runners in party helped the US from time to time (8) ATHLETES {pArTy+HeLpEd+ThE+uS}
25 Walks after small breaks (6) SPACES {PACES}<=>{S}
26 Dispose of fish food (8) DUMPLING {DUMP}{LING}
27 King Khan essentially in Jamnagar, after dancing leaves grand function finally (8) MAHARAJA {kHAn} in {JAMnAgAR}*
28 Request going through to obtain seal (6) GASKET {G{ASK}ET}

DOWN
1   After developing Covid, Australia had deported one champion (8) ADVOCATE {COViD+A}*{ATE}
2   Parliamentarian's hugged by that woman - a big mistake! (6) HOWLER {H{OWL}ER}
3   Last to work with current leader (6) STALIN {LAST*}{IN}
4   Initially cinema adapted plays with no music (7) CALYPSO {Ci...a}{PLAYS*}{O}
5   Surprised that pioneer went ahead (8) STARTLED {START}{LED}
6   Rated in exchange (5-3) TRADE-OFF {RATED}* [RA]
7   Discount offer on gigantic reflecting screens (6) IGNORE [T<=]
15 Actor in a blue mackintosh (8) RAINCOAT*
16 One can't remember when a man is carelessly swallowing ecstasy and cocaine (8) AMNESIAC {A+MAN+IS}* over {E} and {C}
18 Detergent or a bit of soap in clothes basically getting thinner (8) CLEANSER{Cl...s}{LEAN{Soap}ER}
19 Accessory seen in Zurich and Baghdad (7) HANDBAG [T]
21 Frequently poor, possibly has almost nothing, basically! (6) ORPHAN {pOoR}{P}{HAs}{No...g} &lit P/Possibly? (Addendum - {pOoR}{Po...y}{Has}{Al...t}{No...g} - See comments)
23 Recognition in controlling Dadagiri, essentially (6) HOMAGE {HOM{dadAGiri}E}
24 Lines disconnected by Telco's first volunteer (6) ENLIST {LINES*}{Te..o}

Reference List
American = A, Daughter = D, Time = T, Can = LOO, King = R, Exercise = PE, Small = S, Grand = G, Australia = A, Parliamentarian = OWL, Current = IN, Ecstasy = E, Cocaine = C