Thursday, 21 November 2024

No 14336, Thursday 21 Nov 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 14A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
1   President's mail disseminated, one caught in lie on expansion (13) AMPLIFICATION {P+MAIL}*{FIC{A}TION} 
10 More calls made to everyone in the contest (3-6) ALL-COMERS*
11 Location's smell almost getting stale at the end (5) SCENE {SCENt}{s..lE}
12 Middle Eastern custom is unoriginal (5) TRITE {easTern}{RITE}
13 Korean boy band reaches Nebraska, charge? Free (9) EXONERATE {EXO}{NE}{RATE}
14 To fawn over Labour's ridiculous basically (6) S?A?E?
16 First Lady arrives at new flat (4) EVEN {EVE}{N}
19 Approach firm backed by setter (4) COME {CO}{ME}
20 Analyst working after removing variable sideways (6) ASLANT ANALyST*
25 Zero time to pacify outside. It's Hate (9) ABOMINATE {AB{0}{MIN}ATE}
26 Small success in hiring a country lad (5) SWAIN {S}{W{A}IN}
27 Point at tenor instrument (5) THORN {T}{HORN}
28 Reject most, starting late, ones in contest (9) OSTRACISE {mOST}{RAC{1'S}E}
29 Associates almost grab bishop and speakers (13) COLLABORATORS {COLLAr}{B}{ORATORS}

DOWN
2   Think about a golf amateur (new) making a golf term (8) MULLIGAN {MULL}{1}{G}{A}{N}
3   Free bathrooms at England (5) LOOSE {LOOS}{E}
4   One that provides food takes charge at Delaware against resistance (6) FEEDER {FEE}{DE}{R}
5   User gets copper's book to read (8) CUSTOMER {CU'S}{TOME}{R}
6   Sat in the counter in front of television, scenes lack substance, insipid (9) TASTELESS {SAT<=}{TELE}{Sc..eS}
7   At almost one, two directions anyway empty, it's unidirectional (3-3) ONE-WAY {ONe}{E}{W}{An..aY}
8   Person is primarily trapping an insect (6) MANTIS {MAN}{Tr...g}{IS} Containment indicator missing
9   Say, studs seen at border with English Navy (2-3) HE-MEN {HEM}{E}{N}
15 Loving action after break essentially, a little (9) EMOTIONAL {MOTION}<=>{brEak} and {A}{L} L for Little?
17 Sacrifice by man and pet, say at Goombay essentially (8) HECATOMB {HE}{CAT}{goOMBay}
18 Arrogant knight (8) CAVALIER [DD]
21 Subway has a huge cask to hold 50% of fennel (6) TUNNEL {TUN}{fenNEL}
22 Scan topics covering part of a poem (5) CANTO [T]
23 Architectural style from cutting rock at one end, retain the middle and keep an opening (6) ROCOCO {ROCk}{rOCk}{O}
24 Division of Securities & Exchange Commission to counter disintegration (6) SECTOR {SEC}{ROT<=}
26 Introduce small pastry (5) START {S}{TART}

Reference List
President = P, New = N, Variable = Y, Small = S, Tenor = T, Bishop = B, Golf = G, England = E, Resistance = R, Read = R, Navy = N

Wednesday, 20 November 2024

No 14335, Wednesday 20 Nov 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 1D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
1   Fit to steal (11) APPROPRIATE [DD]
9   Say, one from Nigeria can receive fair play (7) AFRICAN {CAN+FAIR}*}
10 Displays a dog's head inside? No, it's dogs (7) SHADOWS {SH{A}{Dog}OWS}
11 Topic of those people - to procure drugs (5) THEME {THEM}{E}
12 Secure right inside, bad debts heartlessly collected (9) HARVESTED {HA{R}VE}{DEbTS*}
13 First lady has book business (5) EVENT {EVE}{NT}
15 Holy man worried, people tense with announcement (9) STATEMENT {ST}{ATE}{MEN}{T}
18 Say, youngsters have support, trouble's overcoming hesitation (9) TEENAGERS {TEE}{NAG{ER}S}
21 Bengali gentleman's at a corner, observe (5) SENSE {SEN}{SE}
22 Quality of tea? Light at the end in stock, right! (9) CHARACTER {CHA}{RAC{l..hT}E}{R}
24 Sisters are full of love for places, things, animals etc (5) NOUNS {N{O}UNS} Definition by example
26 Painful back, one on wear (7) EROSION {SORE<=}{1}{ON}
27 Senior struggling to control one who is more loud (7) NOISIER {NO{1}SIER*}
28 Underground society in a country (11) NETHERLANDS {NETHER}{LAND}{S}

DOWN
1   Statecraft by individuals at Thailand is flat (9) A?A?T?E?T (Addendum - APARTMENT {AP}{ART}{MEN}{T} - See comments)
2   Fantastic, super pouch (5) PURSE*
3   Group put fish in box, right? No, the other way round (9) ORCHESTRA {OR{CHEST}{R}A} No Anind for OARfish
4   Estates managed by revolutionary's primarily socialistic (7) RANCHES {RAN}{CHE}{So...c}
5   Asia tour arranged omitting old country (7) AUSTRIA {ASIA+ToUR}*
6   Eradicate cholera selectively, not entirely (5) ERASE [T]
7   Neither partner's article on force pertains to direction (8) NORTHERN {NOR}{THE}{RN}
8   Employed? Outspend frequently (4) USED {oUtSpEnD}
14 Cruel Eva tortured hiding in lift (8) ELEVATOR [T]
16 Key German city on trial to end racism primarily (9) ESSENTIAL {ESSEN}{TrIAL}
17 Arrest Sue distributing fortunes (9) TREASURES*
19 Former lover taking money at cantonment banks terminated (7) EXTINCT {EX}{TIN}{Ca...nT
20 Saint called Chief Executive? It's odd (7) STRANGE {ST}{RANG}{Ex...e}
22 Bolt loses lead in team (4) CREW sCREW
23 The greatest being. oddly dismissed as stranger (5) ALIEN {ALI}{bEiNg}
25 University (Oxford) joins new coalition (5) UNION {UNI}{O}{N}

Reference List
Drug = E, Right = R, Book = NT(New Testament), Holy man = ST(Saint), Tense = T, Corner = SE, Society = S, Old = O, Force = RN(Royal Navy), Oxford = O, New = N