I have not blogged a Sayang puzzle before. I enjoyed this.
Happy Diwali Deepavali everyone!
| Across | ||
| 1, 3 | HAPPY DEEPAVALI |
Heavy Apple iPad churning out seasonal greeting (5,9)
(HEAVY APPLE IPAD)* anagram=churning out – Hindu festival celebrated today |
| 9 | NEWEST |
Latest novel “Oriental Saint” (6)
NEW (novel) E (oriental) ST (saint) |
| 10 |
See 22
|
|
| 11 | ALTER EGO |
Jekyll’s monster, for instance (5,3)
cryptic definition? |
| 12 | REVERE |
Respect for mounted American hero (6)
double definition – Paul Revere, remebered in Longfellow’s poem Paul Revere’s Ride |
| 13 | APRES SKI |
Party behind French runner (5-3)
APRES (behind, French) and SKI (runner) |
| 14 | MOLEST |
Upset animal on the way (6)
MOLE (animal) ST (street, the way) |
| 16 | OUTLAW |
Ostracise Jesse James, for instance (6)
double definition |
| 19 | REPEATER |
Firearm of the recidivist (8)
double definition |
| 21 | SIGNOR |
Italian gentleman most of us ignore (6)
found inside (most of) uS IGNORe |
| 22, 10 | FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS |
Fifth glass to evil doctor for celebration of Rama’s victory over Ravana (8,2,6)
(FIFTH GLASS TO EVIL)* anagram=doctor – see 3 across |
| 24 | ILL-USING |
Cruelly treating sick troubled genius out east (3-5)
ILL (sick) GeNIUS* anagram=troubled missing E (out East) |
| 25 | EDIBLE |
Bid Lee cook something eatable (6)
(BID LEE)* anagram=to cook |
| 26 | SIGHTSEER |
Tourist to observe prophet (9)
SIGHT (to observe) SEER (prophet) |
| 27 | GYPSY |
College servant senselessly disheartened traveller (5)
GYP (college servant at Cambridge) with SenselesslY (disheartened, no middle letters) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | HENNA |
Colouring not applicable to layer (5)
HEN (layer, of eggs) with NA (not applicable) |
| 2 | PIECEMEAL |
Bit by bit, egghead’s into revision of lame epic (9)
E (head of egg, first letter of) inside (LAME EPIC)* anagram=revision of |
| 4 | ECONOMIC REFUGEE |
He needs to run away (8,7)
cryptic definition – someone who needs money |
| 5 | PILGRIM |
Devotee – virtuous, liberal and determined (7)
PI (pious, virtuous) L (liberal) and GRIM (determined) |
| 6 | ATHLETE |
Articles about grant for Mo Farah, perhaps (7)
A and THE (two articles, grammar) containing (about) LET (grant) |
| 7 | INSPECTOR |
Priestley character who calls (9)
cryptic definition – The Inspector Calls, play by JB Priestly |
| 8 | ATHENS |
First then second capital city (6)
A (first) THEN S (second) |
| 13 | ACOUSTICS |
Sound study of a company of topless country bumpkins (9)
A CO (company) rUSTICS (country bumpkins, topless) |
| 15 | LIABILITY |
51 with talent; but not an asset (9)
LI (51, Roman numerals) with ABILITY (talent) |
| 17 | TAGALOG |
After negotiation, record label accepts a Filipino language (7)
LOG (record) TAG (label) changing places (after negotiation) containing (accepts) A |
| 18 | WORRIES |
Without bishop’s letters, setter starts to experience some anxieties (7)
W/O (without) RR (right reverend, bishop) I (the setter) and Experience Some (starts to, first letters of) |
| 20 | PISCES |
Fishy sign (6)
cryptic definition |
| 23 | LEERY |
Suspicious of celery served without starter (5)
anagram (served) of cELERY missing first letter (starter) |
definitions are underlined
You have a minor typo in your explanation of 17D.
It should be TAG for label.
Nice puzzle from Sayang, as PeeDee says. Interesting that Sayang is from Malaysia, as is his name; where Diwali is known as Deepavali. Probably in Tagalog, too. Thanks for several breaths of the East, Sayang.
Thanks Sayang and PeeDee
A good puzzle which made me read up a little more on the background of this Hindu celebration. A pretty straightforward crossword with a few clues that didn’t sit 100% with me – APRES SKI (where the definition of the first word is the same literal translation as the first half of the French-based solution), PISCES (barely cryptic) and ALTER EGO (also barely cryptic). Enjoyed the rest !
Finished in the NE corner with ECONOMIC REFUGEE, INSPECTOR (didn’t know of the play) and the key clue HAPPY DEEPAVALI (only knew of the Diwali spelling) as the last one in.
brucew – I agree with you about APRES SKI etc. I didn’t mention it in the bog as overall I enjoyed the puzzle: unless clues are actually bad I don’t like to criticise an enjoyable puzzle just for the sake of it. It seems more appropriate to mention such things in the comments.
Thanks PeeDee and Sayang.
Enjoyable puzzle with some barely cryptic clues as identified in the blog and comments.
I wasn’t sure that ‘negotiation’ really works for swapping in 17dn and don’t think that MOLEST really means Upset.
But on the plus side I did like LIABILITY and ACOUSTICS and appreciated the theme.
Hope everyone enjoyed the fireworks.