Feb 20 clues & answers
Every clue of this Indian mini crossword by Mangesh Ghogre, with the answer and, where it helps, how the wordplay works. Solve it yourself first: the puzzle is open to subscribers.
Across
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1A
Put one's foot down?
SPED
Putting your foot down on the gas makes a car speed up. “Sped” is the past tense of “speed.”
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5A
Say yes
ACCEDE
To accede is to agree to a request or proposal. In other words, you say yes.
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7A
Cooks onions in oil on a tawa
SAUTES
“Saute” means to cook food quickly in a little oil. So, someone who cooks onions in oil on a tawa sautés them. “Sautes” fits the clue.
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8A
Anant, Isha or Akash
AMBANI
Anant, Isha and Akash are the children of Mukesh Ambani. Their surname is Ambani.
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9A
Ring, as temple bells
PEAL
To peal means to ring loudly and clearly. Temple bells often peal to mark prayers or ceremonies.
Down
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1D
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, popularly
SCUBA
SCUBA stands for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.” It’s the popular name for the equipment divers use to breathe underwater.
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2D
"He loves me not" piece
PETAL
In the “loves me, loves me not” game, someone plucks petals from a flower one by one. The last petal reveals the answer.
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3D
___ Garden: Cricket ground in Kolkata
EDEN
“Eden” completes the name Eden Gardens. It is a famous cricket ground in Kolkata.
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4D
"Make some noise for ___ Boyz...": Dance hit
DESI
“Desi” completes the phrase “Make some noise for the Desi Boyz.” It’s the title phrase of a popular dance song from the Bollywood film *Desi Boyz*.
In the Wordbook: Desi -
5D
"Quickly!"
ASAP
ASAP stands for “as soon as possible.” It means to do something quickly, so it fits the clue.
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6D
Arrived
CAME
“Came” is the past tense of “come.” If someone arrived at a place, they came there.