The Hindu Crossword No. 9326 Friday, September 12, 2008

Nice one .............

Across

 1 It’s rather a colourless affair, mind (4,6) GREY MATTER

 6 Near the middle (4) MEAN

 9 Local draughtsman? (7) TAPSTER

10 Go back and shout again (7) RETREAT

12 Where the queen succeeded to the forest crown (4,4) TREE TOPS

13 Literary contribution read before a society (5) PAPER

15 When disturbed in quarter, sir springs up (5) RISES

17 Late stormy rain builds up (2,7) IN ARREARS

19 From being in the red I possibly came into money (9) INHERITED

21 Make oneself indistinguishable on turning down King (5) DROWN

23 Verb in English may be an obsolescent note (5) BREVE

24 Settled down, as Rocky never did? (8) STEADIED

27 Scored — gallery in agreement (7) NOTCHED

28 Serving men taking a horse around as directed (7) STEERED

29 Trenches made to approach a hostile position (4) SAPS

30 The Donna is in tears from these rebukes! (10) REPRIMANDS

Down

 1 Money taken at gun point? (4) GETS?

 2 Specialists having thorough knowledge (7) EXPERTS

 3 Arrange note to meet musical time (5) METRE

 4 The initial and first mistake included by violent person (9) TERRORIST

 5 Gains by labour (5) EARNS

 7 Illustrations of river-palm that is different (7) EXEMPLA

 8 Clearly payment will be demanded if absent (3,7) NOT PRESENT

11 Long narrow Russian material, diminished gradually in size (7) TAPERED

14 Bandits ran madly from militia groups (10) TRAINBANDS

16 Crawler making present (7) SCREECH

18 He formally communicates in writing (9) ADDRESSER

20 Liquor left in a glass trodden underfoot (4,3) HEEL TAP

22 Trampled down on horse back (7) OVERRAN

24 Negotiated aside with her (5) SADIE

25 Night vision (5) DREAM

26 Betting price (4) ODDS