Independent 10,753 by Kairos

by

Kairos fills the mid-week slot this week. Until last year, Kairos was only to be found in the Independent on Sunday. But he has now appeared six times in the weekday editions and this is our second Kairos blog.

We usually find Kairos slightly easier than most other setters, and this puzzle was no exception, but no less enjoyable despite the rapid solve time.

Some specialist knowledge is required to parse 3d –  we knew the Elkie Brooks song referred to but were amazed to find on checking that it dates from as long ago as 1977 – probably rather obscure for some solvers?

Thanks to PostMark for noticing the NINA in the perimeter which we also noticed.  In our hurry to complete the blog, we forgot to mention it.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
6. Take in Indian spices and wine (7)
MARSALA

R (take) in MASALA (Indian spices)

7. Landowner involved in tactical air defence (5)
LAIRD

Hidden or ‘involved’ in tacticaL AIR Defence

9. American poet has time to pen final letter (4)
EZRA

ERA (time) round or ‘penning’ Z (final letter) – a reference to Ezra Pound

10. River creature with weapon creates unnecessary panic (5,5)
FALSE ALARM

FAL (river) SEAL (creature) ARM (weapon)

11. Underwear thief in Kansas (8)
KNICKERS

NICKER (thief) in KS (Kansas)

13. Used to be part of the LGBT community, which is quite spicy (6)
WASABI

WAS (used to be) A BI (bi-sexual – ‘part of the LGBT community’)

15. Furniture store with department covering Kelvin’s proposal (4)
IDEA

IkEA (furniture store) with D (department) replacing or ‘covering’ K (Kelvin)

17. Religious measure accepted by artist leaving America (5)
GODLY

DL (decilitre – ‘measure’) in or ‘accepted by’ GOYa (artist) without or ‘leaving’ A (America)

18. Air defence space in port (4)
ADEN

AD (air defence) EN (space, in printing)

19. The French native set exercise (6)
LESSON

LES (French for ‘the’) SON (native)

20. Presumably released from incarceration and did very well (8)
EXCELLED

If you were released from a CELL (incarceration) you could fancifully be described as being EX-CELLED

23. Lear boasts about old navigational aids (10)
ASTROLABES

An anagram (‘about’) of LEAR BOASTS

26. Heartlessly declaims traitors (4)
RATS

RAnTS (declaims) without the middle letter or ‘heartlessly’

27. Periodically admits actor into dance (5)
DISCO

Alternate or ‘periodic’ letters of aDmItS aCtOr

28. Intern in NI town welcoming English rector (7)
LEARNER

LARNE (NI town) round or ‘welcoming’ E (English) + R (rector)

DOWN
1. Get Castro in a tizzy introducing American items of clothing (10)
GREATCOATS

An anagram (‘in a tizzy’) of GET CASTRO round or ‘introducing’ A (American)

2. Fliers briefly split lottery (6)
RAFFLE

RAF (fliers) FLEe (split – as in to make oneself scarce)

3. Elkie’s singer quietly leaves nobleman (4)
EARL

pEARL (from Elkie Brooks’ song ‘Pearl’s a Singer’) with the ‘p’ (quietly) missing or ‘leaving’

4. Type of marble style in corridor (8)
ALLEYWAY

ALLEY (type of marble – as in the little glass balls) WAY (style)

5. Register for work (4)
TILL

Double definition

6. Look to incorporate zone for mast (5)
MIZEN

MIEN (look) round or ‘incorporating’ Z (zone)

8. Hardy expert supports Durham (7)
DURABLE

ABLE (expert) after or ‘supporting’ (in a down clue) DUR (Durham)

12. Special border plant (5)
SEDGE

S (special) EDGE (border)

14. Details of money everyone found in career (5,5)
SMALL PRINT

M (money) ALL (everyone) in SPRINT (career)

16. Spoken to without notice to be prepared (7)
DRESSED

adDRESSED (spoken to) without ‘ad’ (notice)

17. Courageous person follows criminal group into nerve centre (8)
GANGLION

LION (courageous person) following GANG (criminal group)

21. Graduate invested in funds for African fortress (6)
CASBAH

BA (graduate) ‘invested’ in CASH (funds)

22. Go in with some Aberdeen Terriers (5)
ENTER

Hidden (‘some’) in AberdeEN TERriers

24. Busy bee ignored hazard (4)
RISK

bRISK (busy) with the ‘b’ (bee) omitted or ‘ignored’

25. Report of grain in island (4)
BALI

A homophone (‘report’) of BARLEY (grain)

 

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