Stats -Only 19 people managed to submit the completed grid for this puzzle. Of those who submitted, just 3 managed to get a full score of 33. The following is the list of people who had full scores, in alphabetical order..
1. Akshay Bhandarkar
2. Ganesh Nayak
3. Venkatraghavan S.
Congrats to all three of you.
Here’s the Solution grid
Questions asked at the end of the puzzle included Annotations for Clues 17A, 4D and the NINA as well as its connection to the title.
As highlighted above, the NINA was GRIDFEST. The title “22⅘ Across” indicates the location of the Nina (it starts on the 8th white cell out of the 10 that are between 22 and 23). We gave points to everyone mentioned location of the NINA, even if it was not that precise:)
Here are the Annotations..
Across:
1. Do leading politicians ardently revile Trump? Yes. (5) Acrostic
4. “Learn + tune” arrangement (6,3) Anagram, &Lit. LEARNTUNE*
9. Race to run a video broadcast of “Get Out,” for example. (10,5) RACETORUNAVIDEO*
10. Heartlessly, the singer played pointless numbers (8) T(-h)ESINGER*
11. Return to give out seconds (4) EMIT<<
14. Wheels need to be this worn out? (5) Double Definition
15. Distant horseman heard when the sun has sunk and the mercury has fallen (4,5) COLD KNIGHT (hp)
17. The most unenthusiastic and unwell setter, hiding in the trunk (9) ILL I in CHEST
19. Platform that is more prone to failure without knockout investments at first (5) RIS(-ki)ER
21. A ship with its load, heading away (4) (-c)ARGO
22. Several articles about male aversion (8) AN A THE (M) A
25. One comic’s financial improvements (9,6) ONECOMIC* REFORMS
26. Sketchy, bare-bones accommodation at one village, vacated (9) TENT AT I V(-illag)E
27. Playful Reverend’s urge to taste a lollipop, perhaps? (5) Spoonerism of “DO LICK”
Down:
1. Religious primer — this set piece, oddly (9) P(-r)I(-m)E(-r) T(-h)I(-s) S(-e)T (-p)I(-e)C(-e)
2. Blooming late or finally “forever 21”? (7) LATEOR* (-foreve)R; Def: “21” here is 21 Down, which is AGENT
3. A type of book you initially never get — after daily use, learning transpires (5,5) YOU N(-ever) G(-et) A(-fter) D(-aily) U(-se) L(-earning) T(-ranspires)
4. Sold a compound lever, fixed closed car trunk (10) Composite Anagram SOLD + NUTCRACKER = CLOSEDCARTRUNK*
5. Woman who admired menu finishes up noodles (4) Tails, Reversal – (-woma)N (-wh)O (-adore)D (-men)U <<
6. Impatient girl succeeds earlier (4) G after AGO
7. Sleepy woman, odd ingenue at heart (7) Hidden Word
8. Second prime time hour? Seven, regularly. (5) T HR (-s)E(-v)E(-n)
12. Feel urgent reflux of a certain kind of food (6-4) FEELURGENT*
13. One who might not thank you after lung surgery (10) U AFTERLUNG*
16. Orcas that evolved something possessed by pelicans and frogs (6,3) ORCASTHAT*
18. Full of oneself in top regalia, wearing formal dress (7) IN G(R)OWN
20. Poet steps into tight dress and gets very upset (4,3) EE in DRESS*
21. Single man, broker (5) A GENT
23. When skinned up, what oinks a bit? (4) Reverse Hidden Word
24. Play waiter? (4) DIDI Cryptic Definition The cryptic definition alludes to the character Didi in Samuel Beckett’s famous play “Waiting for Godot”