The Hindu Crossword No. 9722 Thursday, December 24, 2009

Across

1 Dress beau, hatless, in customary manner (8) HABIT (-D)UDE

5 Caught, terrorist’s leader is scratched and struck (6) (-T)RAPPED

9 Being tense, adjusted for final settlement (5,2) WOUND UP

10 Exclusive circle where outsiders won’t be allowed (2-5) IN-GROUP

11 Steward army officer, mood being nasty (5-4) MAJOR-(DOMO*)

12 I go around the scholar — an insect, in fact (5) I(MA)GO

13 Fools with playthings (4) TOYS

14 King of kings in India (9) MAHARAJAH

17 Emphatic agreement with a cartoonist’s work? (3,4,2) YOU SAID IT

19 Late announcement? (4) OBIT.

23 Don’t begin to dally with firearm (5) (-T)RIFLE

24 Burmese leader and more smarmy one discarded shoulder belt (9) B AND O(-I)LIER

25 Durable in residence? (7) ABIDING

26 Partially inspect rare images (7) SPECTRA

27 Going back to silver dole-out (3-3) AG(E-OLD*)<-

28 Gang leader on street calls for supplies for strippers (1-7) G-ST RINGS

Down

1 Good watcher gets doctor the tailless insect of the Sphinx family (4,4) HAWK MO TH(-E)

2 Sad, stupid bird (4,3) BLUE JAY

3 Old English-Welsh rulers’ stud or shed (6) TUDORS*

4 Attaché case? (10,3) DIPLOMATIC BAG

6 Discovered ANC gal in church (8) ANGLICAN*

7 Fairly shared in Rome? (3,4) PRO RATA

8 Journalist put up plan to position the troops (6) DE<-PLOY

10 As a policy these nations don’t get entangled with others (13) ISOLATIONISTS

15 It is not ordinary even on losing face (8) E SPECIAL

16 Battles among denizens of the tinsel town? (4,4) STAR WARS

18 Nothing following confused desi referee’s call (7) O FF (SIDE*)

20 There from the start, like some kitchen shelves (5-2) BUILT-IN

21 Force fit girl (6) ARM ADA

22 So pure, yet in a way affected person (6) POSEUR*