The Hindu Crossword 8204 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Call a note off suddenly (3,2,4) ALL AT ONCE (Call a note off=ana. CALL+A+NOTE)
5 Burn Dutch vegetable (5) CHARD (Curn=CHAR, Dutch=D => CHAR+D)
8 Tear a fine fabric, tear to bits (8) LACERATE (a fine fabric=LACE, tear to bits=ana. TEAT=RATE=>a fine fabric, tear to bits = LACE+RATE)
9 First a generation calculator? (6) ABACUS
11 Royal Engineers leave income at scene of action (5) VENUE (Royal Engineers=RE, income=REVENUE=>Royal Engineers leave income = REVENUE-RE)
12 Settler coins role afresh (9) COLONISER (coins role afresh = ana. COINS+ROLE)
13 Swimmer in the red staggered (6) REELED (Swimmer=EEL, red=RED=>Swimmer in the red = REELED)
14 Very skilful teacher on extremes of litany (8) MASTERLY (teacher=MASTER, extremes of litany=LY=>teacher on extremes of litany = MASTER+LY)
16 Vegetable to put a lid on rock music (8) CAPSICUM (lid=CAP, rock music=ana. MUSIC=SICUM=>to put a lid on rock music = CAP+SICUM)
18 Grand, most important circus (3,3) BIG TOP (Grand=BIG, most important=TOP)
22 Story of a short arrival in Natal (9) NARRATIVE (short arrival=ARR, Natal=NATIVE=>a short arrival in Natal = N(ARR)ATIVE)
23 Jumbo tooth (5) IVORY (Direct)
24 No sir, nothing is upset by prayer (6) ORISON (No sir, nothing is upset=ana. NO+SIR+O(nothing=O))
25 Dish that imparts a freshness (8) PASTRAMI (imparts a freshness = ana. IMPARTS+A)
26 Strength, possibly (5) MIGHT (Double Defn.)
27 Nothing could be more boring (9) DREARIEST (Direct)

Down
1 Finished with a Latin admirer (3,4) ALL OVER (a=A, Latin=L, admirer=LOVER => A+L+LOVER)
2 Gaps in a nuclear fallout? Right away (7) LACUNAE (a nuclear fallout=ana. A+NUCLEAR=>a nuclear fallout? Right away=ana. A+NUCLEAR-R = LACUNAE)
3 Jerome K. Jerome's sailing trio (5, 3, 2, 1, 4) THREE MEN IN A BOAT (Direct)
4 It may portend the sack to the employee (6) NOTICE (Cryptic)
5 Political head of department may incite tribesman to revolt (7,8) CABINET MINISTER (incite tribesman to revolt=ana. INCITE+TRIBESMAN)
6 A drug taker swallowing a small volume is one who makes a charge (7) ACCUSER (A=A, drug taker=USER, a small volume=CC=>A drug taker swallowing a small volume = A(CC)USER)
7 Ruin the French system of weights (7) DESTROY (the French=DES??, system of weights=TROY => DES+TROY)
10 Miserable attempt to conceal animal cry (5) BLEAT (Container => MiseraBLE ATattempt)
15 Length of a forearm (5) CUBIT (Direct)
16 Go along! Study class (7) CONFORM (Study=CON, class=FORM => CON+FORM)
17 Standard, royal nightmare for many a motorist (7) PARKING (Standard=PAR, royal=KING => PAR+KING)
19 "My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known — — !" (Romeo and Juliet) (3,4) TOO LATE (Direct)
20 Try a dip afresh for a financially promising situation (3,4) PAY DIRT (Try a dip afresh = ana. TRY+A+DIP)
21 Iron man's woman (6) FEMALE (Iron=FE, man=MALE => FE+MALE)