The Hindu Crossword No. 9266 Thursday, July 03, 2008

Had to go out of town again. Back for the July 4th weekend but will be out again next week......

Across

 1 Officer, club worker, is ready to fight (9) COMBATANT

 5 Heavy pole used in tossing contest used by engineer in transport (5) CABER

 8 Where food may be stored by some muscular dervishes (6) LARDER

 9 Continuing relationship between male and female may put PRO in bad trouble (4,4) PAIR BOND

11 Sound like a pig (4) OINK

12 A rapid snake could be a missile (10) SIDEWINDER

14 What an Eskimo would rather be known as (5) INUIT

15 Penalty distributed in abundance (7) APLENTY

16 A hobby for father’s day perhaps (7) PASTIME

17 The power of a side (5) RIGHT

19 Meat-eaters, with ecstasy, rovin’ back in vehicles (10) CARNIVORES

20 Merriment before ruler produces fear (4) FUNK

22 Soft and delicate editor made an offer (8) TENDERED

23 Reach a conclusion to tighten the spring (4,2) WIND UP

24 Turn inside out, always before time (5) EVERT

25 Enter plea deviously for a deciduous growth (5,4) PLANE TREE

Down

 1 Visit everyone included in argument (4,2) CALL ON

 2 Soldier at home, certain to include African party in cover against risk on the high seas (6,9) MARINE INSURANCE

 3 Cut down by an unknown journalist (4) AXED

 4 One of those sought to be tackled in the Doha Round, say (5,7) TRADE BARRIER

 5 Medical science that makes a coy girl do a turn (10) CARDIOLOGY

 6 Gore with a lot of noise — features of such a violent action movie (5,3,7) BLOOD AND THUNDER

 7 Colourful soldiers of a creation after the Bolshevik Revolution (3,4) RED ARMY

10 Girl in the nursery who missed some sheep (6,2,4) LITTLE BO PEEP

13 Extremely generous spell for UNICEF in Montana (10) MUNIFICENT

16 Carnation that evokes poetic fantasy around the east (7) PICOTEE

18 Penny jokes about a location in Macedonia (6) SKOPJE

21 Gain a point with intoxicating drink (4) WINE