Stats – 26 entries were received in all for this puzzle. When duplicates were discounted, there were 25 unique entries. 12 of those who attempted the puzzle got a full score of 39. The following is the list of people who had full scores, in alphabetical order..
1. Akshay Bhandarkar
2. Amrita Majumdar
3. Crypt Ella
4. Ganesh Nayak
5. Guruswamy Nataraj
6. Ramani
7. Supriya Mithal
8. Vasant Srinivasan
9. Venkatraghavan S.
10. Vignesh Kiran
11. Vinayak Ekbote
12. Viresh Ratnakar
Congrats to all of you.
Here’s the Solution grid
Questions asked at the end of the puzzle included Annotations for Clues 12A, 22D as well as a question on the NINA and its location. The NINA was “FITTEST METHOD OF CELEBRATING” and it could be read along the edges of the grid.
Here are the Annotations
Across:
7 One convict returned for celebration (4) (A LAG)<
8 Recalibrate fine hearth temperature measurement scale (10) (FINE HEARTH)*
9 Study, when retired, about a king without clothes (5) DEN< about A K
12 Impressionism in the absence of noir components may lead to despair (9) (IMPRESSIONISM – N O I R)*
15 Donkey follows mischievous child with energy resulting in deadlock (7) IMP ASS E
16 Preserve, including part of rib and spine (7) P(R)ICKLE
20 Right after the beginning of the second/third day of the week, in short? Correct! (4) T(R)UE
21 Long, no? Coming after 12 months (5) YEAR N
23 Immediately after this, knight, remove covers from texts (4) N tEXTs
24 Container to hold donations of minced lambs and animal (4,3) (LAMBS)* OX
27 Prolong porridge time (7) DD
29 Remember, to some extent, last name of West German chancellor and painter (9) REM BRANDT
32 Old word processor (sometimes on laptop?) mistyped notes (5) STONE*
35 Snap John’s enthusiasm at first and come apart (5,5) BREAK LOOS E
36 He’s into South Dakota’s garden construction (4) S(HE)D ,
Down:
1 Florida and Alaska for Archie (4) FL AK
2 <=> Interchange File Format in short (3) DD
3 ((Fourth of 16 + fourth of 8 + fourth of four + sixth of 12) by fifth of 15) or 60% of … (5) Alphanumeric Multiple Definition> a.Clue number b. sixTeen+eigHt+fouR+twelvE by fiftEn c.(4+2+1+2)/3 d. 60% of 5 (enum)
4 Come on, it’s just a trailer (6) DD
5 Electronic radio operator’s ICAO code for Schipol Airport (1,1,1,1) E HAM
6 Poses displaying oomph on board (4) S(IT)S
10 Drake, perhaps, mixed a dram with milk endlessly (7) (A DRAM mILk)*
11 Time to have endless intercourse, using initially red scented rubbers (7) ERA SEx R S
13 Annoy Inland Revenue clerk at last (3) IR K
14 See English mole (4) E SPY
17 Agreement despatched by jailbird (7) CON SENT
18 Roman law symbol book useful to puzzle solvers (7) LEX ICON
19 CIA’s confused about this group briefly I hear (1,1,1) CIA*
22 American Bill’s remark: A bit of money for a bit of music (4) MD- a.Bill (American) b. remark c. A bit of money d. a bit of music,
25 Silent female ancestor (3) DD
26 Prophetic deity’s Spanish exclamation about reversing vehicle (6) OLE about CAR<
28 Nowadays, head office primarily communicates for this in Latin (2,3) AD HO C
30 Setter’s in before Erin (4) I in ERE
31 God! Gangster’s chasing graduate! (4) BA AL
33 Resounding event – it can be heard just before Foxtrot (4) DD
34 Brief reference to part of Mysore forest (3) Telescopic