Stats -We had a fabulous response for “A Rabid Milkman Nodding” and received 46 submissions. Of those who submitted, 21 got the full grid score of 31 and only 10 people got the maximum possible score of 39. Here’s the Solution grid.
Three bonus questions were asked at the end of the puzzle
(1). Identify the theme using the title in the process.
(2). What’s the real identity of the setters?
(3). Where along the grid do you meet “Triumph” and “Regret” in three letters each?
The correct answers were
(1) BIRD AND ANIMAL KINGDOM – An anagram of (A Rabid milkman nodding)*
(2). MONA, SUDARSHAN – Anagram of ANDHUMANSSOAR*
(3). NINAs – WIN and RUE as highlighted in the Solution grid
Here are the Annotations.
Across:
1 Jungle kid, primarily Messua’s orphaned waif gained legendary importance (6) – Acrostic
4 It saved animals from Arakhs? No, not exactly (5,3) – anagram of arakhsno*
10 Spanish pirate and the French loafer (7) – charade le drone
11 Part of the Periodic Table? Perhaps U,I,Te,Mb,R.. (7) – anagram of uitembr*
12 Cygnet from Botswana (4) – telescopic
13 One requesting a lord to take it into reconsideration (10) – peer around itinto*
15 Hog time for the ancient messenger (6) – pig eon
16 Exercise with a block leaving husband a vain person (7) – pe a c(-h)ock
20 Rounded way to describe a frog? (4-3) – CD/DD frog is well fed
21 Incentive! say, Audi Q7 or recalled Ford? (6) – car or<,T
24 Adapting? an aberrant…Perhaps the Chinese bear this (5,5) – Adapting an*
26 Carol’s with an Indian Sardar on radio (4) – sing hp of singh
28 Here is where Hugh Laurie became a medical genius.. (2-5) – hugh laurie played a doctor “in House”
29 Time Po cooked ultimate sauce, for example (7) – time po + e*
30 Drummer dare let loose mad butcher (8) – composite anagram drummer dare* – mad murderer*
31 A stag slayed over horns, primarily? Appalled! (6) – a stag * around h
Down:
1 Spooner’s towels of lustrous fabrics for weaklings! (8) – milk sops spoonerism of silk mops
2 Lens used to shoot Blue-winged Teal starting to take off (4-5) – winged teal-t*
3/27 Uniting, restricting nothing, he rules over Pride Lands (4,4) – linking around o
5 Stranger is red! (8) – RA of (is red), Anagrind – OUT
6 At sea, met rich king and sailor, an ocean-dweller (6,4) – metrich* r + ab
7 On the way crossing a navy blue-crowned parakeet, perhaps (5) – via inside a n
8 One Indian mythological character (king) returned with one in 3 &27 (6) – i rama k <<
9 Odd-even rule at first? Forget it! (5) – even*r
14 Companies allow break right away for E.coli bearer (3,7) – cos let t(-r)uce
17 Order dogs, wolves and cats perhaps (9) – DD with definition by example
18 Protection without trials for people from Beirut (8) – lee around banes
19 Deer is hugging English model! This is most dramatical (8) – stagis around e and t
22 Narcissism for example: “I’m so fantastic! (6) – eg imso*
23 Good-for-nothing husband left New Delhi for a bit of relaxation (5) – delhi -h* +r
25 Top hunter surrounded by wild boar can’t stand! (5) – boar* around h
27 See 3
Here is the scorecard (sorted by total score and then in Alphabetical order)
The first entry was submitted by Bhalchandra Pasupathy, but it was not the first all-correct entry. The first all-correct entry was submitted by Supriya Mithal and the last all-correct entry was received from Aashwina Mouli.
Congrats to all of the 10 people who managed to max the score.
17 out of the 46 people rated the puzzle as “Excellent”, 25 people rated it “Good” and the remaining 4 rated it as “Average”.
Thanks to Mona and Sudarshan for an entertaining puzzle. After the promising debut, we look forward to more puzzles in the future, from this collaboration.
Did you enjoy the puzzle? Do you have any feedback for us or for the setter. Do comment in the blog and let us know.