Solution to THC Sunday

Across

1 Duke, in a wood on hack, made a striking impression (3,1,4) CUT A DASH

5 A pair vandalised yard where bees are kept (6) APIARY

9 Spherical object taken from conveyor belt (3) ORB

10 Football team in easy winf Acts otherwise (7,4) SWANSEA CITY

12 Detective in our helicopter, squirming (7,6) HERCULE POIROT

14 Painter's picture's very good, after seeing that (7) PICASSO

16 Cat (he-cat) he shot (7) CHEETAH

17 Previous title-holder, one meeting the Queen (7) EARLIER

19 Accomplished European chemist (7) PASTEUR

21 Railway offcial at Porthmadog, say, used to steam trains (13) STATIONMASTER

24 Leaping in front of sailor pointing to a firework (7,4) JUMPING JACK

25 Bird found in hedge, mutilated (3) EMU

26 A female in vehicle getting more reckless (6) RASHER

27 Order changed for cashmere? I don't know (6,2) SEARCH ME

Down

1 Policeman arresting old criminal, hard lout (10) CLODHOPPER

2 Row across mouth of busy river (5) TIBER

3 Talk about throwing contest, last in Olympics (7) DISCUSS

4 Son with girl getting on with a recreational activity (13) SKATEBOARDING

6 Couple bagging last of four that is plain (7) PRAIRIE

7 I so rattle foreign philosopher (9) ARISTOTLE

8 Toy - headless one cartwheeled twice (2-2) YO-YO

11 Drop scone and alcoholic drink on landing? Sort of (6,7) SCOTCH PANCAKE

13 Plan to once again consume a Carthusian liqueur (10) CHARTREUSE

15 Miserable March - its second festival (9) CHRISTMAS

18 Picture from one publication in the East (7) IMAGINE

20 A kiss for a pound (7) SMACKER

22 Note the manoeuvres demonstrating genuine power (5) TEETH

23 A container, slightly open (4) AJAR

Solution to THC # 9031

Across
 1 Luck, a bit of luck in a part of the church (7) CHANCEL
 6 Soft and weak detectives follow retreating bovine (7) FLACCID
 9 On flight, use pot, ecstasy? Wrong, that is not what you meant to say (4,2,3,6) SLIP OF THE TONGUE
10 Fridge — the place for diamonds? (3,3) ICE BOX
11 True existence in the practical world (4,4) REAL LIFE
13 The joy of a competition around new aid distribution (8) RADIANCE
15 High ground in superior agricultural area (6) UPLAND
18 Somehow resist the sibling (6) SISTER
19 He sends news about drink (sweet ale) (8) REPORTER
22 They raise the team’s spirits (8) CHEERERS
24 Kind of tea that ducks pine for (6) OOLONG
27 A poor tip for UN, too funny and unbalanced (3,2,10) OUT OF PROPORTION
28 Stone set off to provide fireworks (7) ROCKETS
29 An officer to criticise unknown ship’s crew (7) COMPANY
Down
 1 Sack the treasurer! (7) CASHIER
 2 The girl that Capone reportedly looks at (5) ALICE
 3 Stirring the cocoa with a bit of lactose gives us something sweet to eat (9) CHOCOLATE
 4 The instrument of plunder, say (4) LUTE
 5 Antenna seen in coral formation growing up around the Spanish… (6) FEELER
 6 … coral island (5) ATOLL
 7 Understanding ingots can be tricky (9) COGNISANT
 8 Writer found in action in a part of the swimming pool (4,3) DEEP END
12 Expert service (3) ACE
14 Depict spy differently, as suffering from indigestion (9) DYSPEPTIC
16 Symbol for a sound message sent through BSNL perhaps (9) PHONOGRAM
17 Vigour at the heart of 14 (3) PEP
18 Aid for a cat’s paw, they say (7) SUCCOUR
20 Tenure of an interim ruler, awfully green on limits of charity (7) REGENCY
21 Large numbers made by wily sorcerer without an expression of hesitation (6) CRORES
23 Gun commonly found around capital of Liberia (5) RIFLE
25 Board for a seance? Yes, in France and Germany (5) OUIJA
26 Gambling briefly (4) SPEC

Solution to THC # 9030

Across

 1 Nicole as in Nicole Kidman (5,4) FIRST NAME

 5 A swelling marking a negative terminal… (5) ANODE

 8 … old boy, one getting things going as a witness (8) OBSERVER

 9 The financial means needed for existence (6) LIVING

11 Old cavalryman, one deserting Indian soldier (5) SPAHI

12 Dusky runner, unknown entity at Guindy maybe (4,5) DARK HORSE

13 Satellite getting it back in, in movement (6) MOTION

14 Subtle aspersion that could end union precipitately (8) INNUENDO

16 Hard-working union leader in lens men’s work-places (8) STUDIOUS

18 Universe as revealed in a strategic osmosis test (6) COSMOS

22 Bankrupt at home, can pay bills, however (9) INSOLVENT

23 A stake for a long time in heartless conflict (5) WAGER

24 Four Royal Engineers dance, causing public outburst (6) FURORE

25 A soothing application for a soft pawn deserting job (8) OINTMENT

26 Foul smelling part of a creek you would rather avoid (5) REEKY

27 Sail with houri in distress? Very funny! (9) HILARIOUS

Down

 1 Partner of jetsam in odds and ends (7) FLOTSAM

 2 Begin afresh to relax with painting (7) RESTART

 3 Reserve force that makes an irate martyr roil in fury (11,4) TERRITORIAL ARMY

 4 Programme of action for American prosecutor receiving information (6) AGENDA

 5 Creature not in its element, getting breathless? (1,4,3,2,5) A FISH OUT OF WATER

 6 Greek character in a comic rondeau (7) OMICRON

 7 The Greek painter in Spain (2,5) EL GRECO

10 A chore that a tooth may do (5) GRIND

15 Quilt of the French old-timer (5) DUVET

16 More inflexible but frets if upset (7) STIFFER

17 A rapid rise in a state’s yearning (7) UPSURGE

19 In an internal combustion engine it is a thing that attracts nothing (7) MAGNETO

20 Grey layer cloud that starts universal disturbance (7) STRATUS

21 A fabric at one’s choice (2,4) AT WILL

Solution to THC # 9023

Across
 1 This patient gets carried away (9,4) STRETCHER CASE (?)
 8 Contracts for psychiatrists (7) SHRINKS
9 Totally without purpose? (7) ENDLESS
11 Evidence of French leaving show (6) EVINCE
13 A way to travel cheaply and see great ruins (8) STEERAGE
15 Henry to ride out to place of concealment (5) HIDER
16 Misplaced pride about a rebel leader who was turned aside (7) PARRIED
18 Tom going round naked finds it entertaining (7) CABARET
19 Divine messenger frees girl in quarter (5) ANGEL
21 Charm one’s way in (8) ENTRANCE
23 Make a sharp bend in the flight route (6) DOGLEG
25 Openings made by Thomas in South Africa with gratitude (7) STOMATA
26 Pressing a fellow to join the English Cricket team (7) EXIGENT
28 Going blind taking a mortality count (4,9) DEAD RECKONING
Down
 2 Dithering trader I delayed (7) TARRIED
 3 No oriental returns to eternity (3) EON
 4 Arrange in a suitable order (4) CAST
 5 Choose to talk — they make one cross! (10) ELECTORATE
 6 Many have read about the activists group in a revolutionary (5) CADRE
 7 Wrong set — draw back for waiter on board (7) STEWARD
 8 Crooked pastoral lady! (11) SHEPHERDESS
10 Realise what one should be able to do at the end of the tunnel (3,3,5) SEE THE LIGHT
12 Indian race in Central America? (5) CARIB
14 Set great store by increase in value (10) APPRECIATE
17 Married in ancient or anyway mature state (5) IMAGO
18 Do teach going round the terminal (7) CATHODE
20 Lone girl destroyed Spanish treasure ship (7) GALLEON
22 Medal for conflict in our time (5) AWARD
24 They shall inherit heaven (4) MEEK
27 Put up in an abode (3) INN

Solution to THC # 9009

Across

 1 Without adequate advance intimation to others I can’t reorganise (2,5,6) AT SHORT NOTICE {TO OTHERS I CAN'T}

10 Excess shown by society beau about PIL (5- 4) SPILL-OVER {S (society) + PIL + LOVER (beau)}

11 Creature from Akola resettled (5) KOALA {AKOLA}

12 Lack of belief as once shown by an apostle (5) DOUBT {Direct}

13 Rich stage build-up where some European legislators met (9) REICHSTAG {RICH STAGE}

14 The swagger of a mad pacer around the north (6) PRANCE {PACER + N (North)}

16 Some writing from South Africa shortened, reportedly (5) ASSAY {SA + SAY (reportedly)}

19 All right to back church, one in a Kerala location (5) KOCHI {OK backed + CH (church) + I (one)}

20 By the way, turn back and go for a leisurely walk (6) STROLL {ST (short for Street) + ROLL (trun back)}

25 One who expounds that the poor exist miserably (9) EXPOSITOR {POOR EXIST}

26 Extortionate swimmer(5) SHARK {Direct}

27 Germ cell with a small orifice (5) SPORE {S (small) + PORE (orifice)}

28 Here’s Lara involved in a practice session (9) REHEARSAL {HERE'S LARA}

29 Imposition of trade barriers to defend mission straying heartlessly (13) PROTECTIONISM {PROTECT (defend) + MISION (heartless MISSION = MISSION - S)}

Down

 2 Court holding a test about hairstyle (7) TRIBUNAL {TRI (BUN) AL}

 3 Man, one whose wife turned into a salt pillar, was a serf (5) HELOT {HE (man) + LOT (whose wife turned into a salt pillar)} [Reference]

 4 Go back to an old state in a severe vertiginous condition (6) REVERT {SEVE(RE VERT)IGINOUS}

 5 Plants producing raisins suffer with cold (8) NARCISSI {RAISINS + C (cold)}

 6 Acquire and listen to the first of tapes and be encouraged (4,5) TAKE HEART {TAKE (Acquire) + HEAR (listen) T (first of Tapes)}

 7 Designing a floating platform between the limits of Cauvery (6) CRAFTY {C (RAFT) Y}

 8 Exhausted by American dupe’s wiliness (4,2) USED UP {US + DUPE}

 9 A boat that could push through clumsily (5) BARGE {Double}

15 Wrinkles caused a bird’s daring action, reportedly (5,4) CROW'S FEET {Double}

17 Eloquence caused when rich ore containing a bit of tungsten is dug out (8) RHETORIC {RICH ORE T (a bit of Tungsten)}

18 A syrup for most girls, no stone in it (8) MOLASSES {MOST LASSES (girls) - ST (stone)}

21 Kinetic energy in a plant, presumably (6) LIKELY {LI (KE) LY}

22 A fine meal in café’s a stone’s throw away (5) FEAST {CA(FE A ST)ONE'S}

23 Commotion is a state before a big noise (6) UPROAR {UP (a state) ROAR (a big noise)}

24 Old script designed by Bhima? Right (6) BRAHMI {BHIMA + R (right)}

26 Mass of eggs for a small man on board (5) SPAWN {S (small) + PAWN (man on chess board)}

Solution to the THC # 9008

Across

 1 It brings warmth to the home by burning … wood; note location (9) FIREPLACE {Double meaning}

 5 Bone of flightless bird found in France (5) FEMUR {f (emu) r}

 8 Follow the breeze that helps the flier on course (8) TAILWIND {Double meaning}

 9 Revive something unpleasant that a quiet guard messed up (4,2) DRAG UP {quiet = P + GUARD}

11 Handbill that a lifer distributed (5) FLIER {LIFER}

12 A decent leg break can be disregarded (9) NEGLECTED {DECENT LEG}

13 Quit the computer programme with a record below par (3,3) LOG OFF {Double meaning}

14 A short joke on the monorail? (3-5) ONE-LINER {double meaning}

16 One’s time wasted by interval in music (8) SEMITONE {ONE'S TIME}

18 Lizard from Antigua runs wild, losing time (6) IGUANA {Antigua - t}

22 Disfigured man died, hiding shape (9) MALFORMED {MALE + DD + FORM}

23 Temporary peace is real around beginning of Christmas (5) TRUCE {Tru (c) e}

24 Being beaten is accepted by Carlos in good humour (6) LOSING {Car (los in g) ood}

25 What is the satellite doing or, alternatively, chewing up? (8) ORBITING {or + biting}

26 Depend on pocketing a soft response (5) REPLY {Re (p) ly}

27 Boy, Delhi University grad, gathers a protective group (9) BODYGUARD {boy + DU + grad}

Down

 1 Two notes, nearly complete, could be deadly (7) FATEFUL {nearly complete = full - l = FUL + FATE}

 2 A fence is complaining bitterly (7) RAILING {bitterly complaining = R + AILING = a fence}

 3 The capacity of a lawyer to get the legal authority to act for another (5,2,8) POWER OF ATTORNEY {Double meaning}

 4 Canvas roof seen in the dawn in gloomy weather (6) AWNING {d (awn in g )loomy}

 5 Flash in the sky had Lord Ken fighting for a spell (6,9) FORKED LIGHTNING {Lord Ken fighting}

 6 Explosive power of an atom, e.g. nitrogen, splitting (7) MEGATON {ATOM EG N}

 7 One who attacks, carrying power, is more quick (7) RAPIDER {Raider + P (power)}

10 Pain that went with ecstasy in Irving Stone’s work (5) AGONY {Direct}

15 ”How long shall mine — be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13) (5) ENEMY {Direct}

16 Some embroidery, quite enough in extremes of summer (7) SAMPLER {quite enough = AMPLE, extremes of summer = S R => AMPLE in S R}

17 Feeble youth who bleeds over work (7) MILKSOP {bleeds = milks, work = op (as in operation)}

19 Chemical found in animal analysis, including uranium (7) ALUMINA {animal + U (uranium)}

20 Archdeacon, though outwardly old, evened the score (7) A VEN GED {Old = aged, archdeacon = Ven. (as in venerable)}

21 Fuss over a socialist, greatly admired (6) ADO RED {Fuss = Ado, socialist = red}