The Hindu Crossword 8236 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Without exaggeration, they also taste funny (2,3,3,5) TO SAY THE LEAST (they also taste funny = ana. THEY+ALSO+TASTE)
9 Old hairpiece for a porker, containing twisted wire (7) PERIWIG (a porker=PIG, twisted wire=ana. WIRE=ERIW=>a porker, containing twisted wire = P(ERIW)IG)
10 They bar re-spelling from memory (2,5) BY HEART (They bar re-spelling = ana. THEY+BAR)
11 Quality of time spent in a speech of praise (9) ATTRIBUTE (a=A, speech of praise=TRIBUTE, time=T=>time spent in a speech of praise = A(T)TRIBUTE)
12 Mature insect caught by Poornima got away ... (5) IMAGO (Container => PoornIMA GOt)
13 ... despite the fact that the power of reasoning was cut short (7) THOUGH (power of reasoning=THOUGHT=>power of reasoning was cut short = THOUGHT-T)
14 Headlong rush made pets scurry (8) STAMPEDE (made pets scurry = ana. MADE+PETS)
17 Put at risk like many a species of wildlife (8) ENDANGER (Direct)
19 Climber could descend thus very quietly: real trick (6) RAPPEL (very quietly=PP, real=REAL=>quietly: real trick = ana. PP+REAL)
23 He can heal a dog reaching the Emergency Room (5) CURER (a dog=CUR, Emergency Room=ER=>a dog reaching the Emergency Room = CUR+ER)
25 Give a name to an oriental portent in an engagement (9) DESIGNATE (oriental=E, portent=SIGN, engagement=DATE=>oriental portent in an engagement = D(E+SIGN)ATE
26 It relieves the pain of people, though briefly, before onset of laryngitis (7) MENTHOL (people=MEN, though briefly=TH, onset of laryngitis=1st letter of laryngitis=L => MEN+THO+L)
27 Integral, not constructed externally (2-5) INBUILT (Double Defn.)
28 The Times etc. on the march, getting the sack? (7,8) WALKING PAPERS (Cryptic defn.)

Down
1 This support for sail is a most apt arrangement (7) TOPMAST (most apt arrangement = ana. MOST+APT)
2 English town where a good man, famous car maker, captured a deserter (9) STRATFORD (a good man=ST, famous car maker=FORD, deserter=RAT=>a good man, famous car maker, captured a deserter = ST(RAT)FORD)
3 Opening the mouth wide in a gesture of boredom (7) YAWNING (Direct)
4 Important person's audible greeting at a further level (4-2) HIGH-UP (greeting=HI=>audible greeting=HIGH(homonym), further level=UP)
5 Text of opera about fickle, brittle love (8) LIBRETTO (fickle, brittle love = ana. BRITTLE+O)
6 The unbeliever's belief (7) ATHEISM (Direct)
7 A place in Mumbai for a police station (5) THANA
8 Freshly hard-coated battery terminal (7) CATHODE (Freshly hard-coated = ana. H+COATED)
15 Lay stress on speed as is found in extremes of endurance (9) EMPHASISE (speed=MPH, as is=ASIS, extremes of EndurancE=EE=>speed as is found in extremes of endurance = E(MPH+ASIS)E
16 Latest food shop admits husband in city (3,5) NEW DELHI (Latest=NEW, food shop=DELI, husband=H=>food shop admits husband=DEL(H)I)
17 Expressions of praise providing income? A novelty (7) ENCOMIA (income? A novelty = ana. INCOME+A)
18 Arctic creature featuring in a seminar whalers conducted (7) NARWHAL (Container => semiNAR WHALers)
20 Symbolic study of mathematics? (7) ALGEBRA (Direct)
21 Character from Hamlet or King Lear set about (7) LAERTES (Lear set about = ana. LEAR+SET)
22 Making a demand qua the ruler (6) ASKING (qua=AS, thr uler=KING => AS+KING)
24 Restore some of the old serene way of life (5) RENEW (Container => seRENE Way)