The Hindu Crossword No. 9834 Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Just for the heck of it ..... and also for the "Back Scratcher" .......................

Across

2 Place another rate for the worker (6) PL(ATER*)

7 Counter false witness's return (4) RAIL<-

9 A priest at no point is like a lunatic (4) A MO(-N)K

10 Device can somehow check carts in court (4,9) BA(CK SCRATCHE*)R

12 Man will anyhow train one bird (7) M(ARTIN*) I (an NJ special - Martin OR Martini!)

13 Fix the soft feathers for one to identify (3,4) PIN DOWN

15 Lad leaves Rio with Hera (4) JUNO(-ir) (another NJ special: Jun(-ior) leaves Jun!)

17 Spot the holy man on Thursday instead of Sunday (5) (-S)(+T)AINT

18 Revolvers on the streets I left (4) RO(-A)DS (I left or A!!!!)

19 Hard to find the Spanish I have followed in America (7) EL (US) I'VE

21 Gangster escapes from the country to another country (7) AUSTR(-AL)IA

23 Free to avail of one such gift! (13) COMPLIMENTARY

27 Fix the dog's dinner (4) MESS

28 Settle the king not keeping well (4) K ILL

29 Sailor does settle in the homes (6) AB(ODES*)

Down

1 Greek character is a priest around the borders of Baghdad (6) LAM(BD)A

2 Optical objects at last in different shapes (10) (PLICA)TI(O)NS

3 Pals bemused by the mountain ranges (4) ALPS*

4 Limitless excitement at all times (4) EVER (RevelrY-ry still leaves L!!!)

5 Premature eruption (4) RASH (nice!)

6 Used the boy on the other hand to first enter in the leaderless mob (8) B OR (-C)ROW(E)D (classic NJ!)

8 Gangster turns up to hit out with the stick (5) LA<-(THI*) (compare this to Sankalak's clue on Saturday: 27 AC It enables the police to make a charge (5) LATHI)

11 Weather is a bit cold in the city on Thursday evening initially (7) C (LIMA) T E

13 Pack a new English kind of spring-roll (7) P(A N)CAK*E

14 Kind of racing on off-road ways (4,6) DIRT TRACKS

16 Released the peacekeepers in prison (8) UN LOCKED

20 Good price (5) VLAUE

22 Short poems I had finally, say for a couple of learners in Sweden (6) I'D Y LL S

24 It may be peeled off after a facial (4) MASK

25 Sailor follows the doctor in the kingdom (4) MO AB

26 Be obliged to tip-off one editor (4) NEED