1ACGridfest – Grid 6 – Border Trouble – Solutions, Annotations & Stats

Stats – 25 entries were received in all for this puzzle. When duplicates were discounted, there were 22 unique entries. Only 8 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. Aashwina Mouli
2. Andrew Wilson
3. Ganesh Nayak
4. Mona Sogal
5. Narayan Mandyam
6. Neelima Rai
7. Supriya Mithal
8. Venkatraghavan S.

Congrats to all of you.

Here’s the Solution grid

Questions asked at the end of the puzzle included Annotations for Clues 1A, 19A and 21D. Originally,  there was a question on the NINA, phrased thus – Besides solving the numbered clues you should sort out a problem affecting half of the characters on the fringe:: CAUSE (8,7); RESULT (3,6). However, before any submissions were received, based on the setter’s request, this question was removed. The answer to this was..CASHLESS TORMENT and THE BEGGAR.

Here are the Annotations

Across:

1 Keeping a tradition for the old boy briefly to meet the staff downstairs, I heard (10) OB + servants (hp);,
6 Animal pen (4) DD
9 Corrie set I originally designed here? (10) (CORRIE SITE)*
10 It’s common sense for the French, we read (4) DD
12 Fetching a monster home is what makes you so lovable (12) fetching (adj.); monster home = (L.) Ness; rest = def..
15 Singer’s stand-in bringing tears to one’s eyes, nearly? Quite the opposite! (9) Singer (sewing machine) tears (heteronym) eyes (homograph re needle)
17 Ominous husky sound (5) husky (heteronym)
18 Strange, Tom: ET has a symbolic meaning for those who valued home and family (5) TOM ET* semi andlit
19 Leave poor Eric inside to find the hall porter (9) ERIC* in CONGE
20 Short commons some troops initially received for service (12) MINI S T RATION
24 Couple getting cold offered appropriate transport (4) TWO + C APPROPRIATE homograph
25 Engaging newcomer’s drunk gin (10) RECRUIT + GIN*
26 Smell that’s just part of Edinburgh for the locals (4) auld REEKie
27 Contribute to temper (10) DD

Down:

1 Cookie some consider offensive, some – more often – rather tasteful (4) hidden mORE Often
2 Bed you might be given at work if you’re always sleepy? (4) sack (double meaning)
3 Dancer’s Christmas meal, cook, seems in order (8,4) SEEMS IN ORDER*
4 Othello, for example, talked about a love affair (5) hp AMOUR A MOOR
5 Bari can be mistaken for another holiday destination (9) BARI CAN BE*
7 Open and fair? That’s literally beyond those controlling the company (5-5) DD/CD
8 I’m told you’d go here for the most sought-after wine (10) cellar /seller hp
11 Spurious GOP index gain the paramount leader’s fudged (4,8) GOP INDEX GAIN*
13 Help to take shot Potter home perhaps (10) POTTER HOME*
14 Keep talking at a match? One gets worn out! (10) DD
16 Not out, right? You cannot be serious! (9) IN + CORRECT.
21 /7 (5) (clue) 21/7 = 3
22 Not quite … bedtime? (4) NIGH(-T)
23 Not for gain, perhaps (4) GAIN*.