No 14437, Thursday 20 Mar 2025, Crescent

Solution to 5D 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Prerequisit to score a blob, one edging to get out on zero? (9) OBBLIGATO {A+BLOB+1+GeT}*{0}

9   Fabulously divine one in Love Racket (4) ODIN {O}{DIN}

10 Caught between three ducks in silly local fun, headed back to Donald's dream-world (5-6-4) CLOUD-CUCKOO-LAND {D{C}UCK}{0}{0} in {LOCAL+fUN}{d...lD}

12 Green covering seen over pitch close to batter telling a story (9) NARRATIVE {NAIVE} over {TAR}{b...eR}<= 

13 Fraud I orchestrated taking segment of recorded sound (5) AUDIO [T]

14 Wonders about horror movie (3,4)  RED SNOW*

17 Vegetable it eats immediately beginning to provide energy (4,3) SNOW PEA {S{NOW}{Pr...e}{E}A}

19 Object of fascination (5) THING [CD]

21 Supreme love involves individual accepting recurrent blame (9) NONPAREIL {N{ON{RAP<=}E}IL}

24 Tired, i.e. dated one, wasted print version (4,4,7) DEAD TREE EDITION*

25 Brand Oracle picked up (4) SEAR (~seer)

26 Dungeon built to exile heartless criminal (9) OUBLIETTE {BUILT+TO+Ex.lE}

DOWN

1   Amazing act, contender is focussed (12) CONCENTRATED*

2   A crib outside hotel or resort primarily found repugnant (8) ABHORRED {A}{B{{H}{OR}{Re...t}ED}

3   One having attained perfection transforming his dad (6) SIDDHA*

4   Perhaps Munro's written about naked slum dog (6) SALUKI {SA{sLUm}KI}

5   Go round cutting branches permanently (3,5) ?O? K?E?S ()

6   State of soldiers following army officer to a party (8) COLORADO {OR}<=>{COL} and {A}{DO}

7   Reptile Master shows with changes to length (6) LIZARD (-w+l)LIZARD

11 Cold polar winds spreading risk in bungle (4,1,7)  DROP A CLANGER {C+POLAR}* in {DANGER}

15 Worthless article, piece about British Conservative (8) NUGATORY {A}{GUN}<={TORY}

16 Asian monkey's stroll outside for food (8) WANDEROO {WANDER}{fOOd}

18 Casts of ancient people in Britain drinking wine (8) PREDICTS {P{RED}ICTS}

20 Times supporting setter's impressions (6) IMAGES {AGES}<=>{I'M}

22Necessity of massage for auditors before book closing in June (4-2) NEED-BE {(~knead)NEED}{B}{junE}

23 Placid Icarus soaring, somewhat bitter (6) ACIDIC [T]

Reference List

Caught = C, It = SA(Sex Appeal), Energy = E, Hotel = H, Soldiers = OR, Party = DO, With = W, Length = L, Cold = C, Piece = GUN, British Conservative = TORY, Wine = RED, Book = B

No 14436, Wednesday 19 Mar 2025, KrisKross

Solution to 7D 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Reports describing extremely lumpy tumours (6) POLYPS {PO{LumpY}PS}

4   Language ranks high in position (8) SANSKRIT {S{RANKS*}IT}

10 The girl may head off, travelling for a long distance (5,4) LIGHT YEAR {THE+GIRL+mAY}*

11 Man, say, following a passage (5) AISLE {ISLE}<=>{A}

12 Pilot flying around Rhode Island's capital city (7) TRIPOLI {T{RI}POLI*}

13 Programming bot - short project (7) OBTRUDE {BOT}*{RUDE}

14 Magical symbol is rejected by young lady right away (5) SIGIL {IS<=}{GIrL}

15 Done racing…vehicle parking in pit (8) ENDOCARP {DONE*}{CAR}{P}

18 Went too far in stalking romantic couple - troll finally expelled (8) OVERSHOT {HOT}<=>{lOVERS}

20 Demonstrate tango to everyone (5) TEACH {T}{EACH}

23 Doctor cutting a rope, made an ornament (7) EARDROP {DR} in {A+ROPE}*

25 Assimilation of the universe is not clear at first (7) OSMOSIS {cOSMOS}{IS}

26 One who wrote fast (5) SWIFT [DD]

27 Following cool beer, I danced outside a bar, drunk (9) INEBRIATE {IN}{BEER+I}* over {A}{T}

28 Repeat after lecturer to become educated (8) LITERATE {ITERATE}<=>{L}

29 God's messengers sang "El Salvador" in parts (6) ANGELS [T]

DOWN

1   Nasty person punched by old drunk becomes most well-behaved (8) POLITEST {P{O}{LIT}EST}

2   Falling behind and losing energy, fellow quits (7) LAGGING fLAGGING

3   Work over, labourer pens book - a cheap novel (9) POTBOILER {OP<=}{T{B}OILER}

5   Cooler song medley I crooned in contest's finale (3,11) AIR CONDITIONER {AIR}{I+CROONED+IN+c...sT}*

6   Trace of sulphuric acid found (5) START {Su...c}{TART}

7   Perhaps lifeboat at sea errs receiving signal (7)  R?S?U?R (Addendum RESCUER  {ERRS}* OVER {CUE} - See comments)

8   Those people embroider designs, primarily following a pattern (6) THEMED {THEM}{Em...r}{De...s}

9   Where you put the fraction in a decimal number is irrelevant (6,3,5) BESIDE THE POINT [DD]

16 Craft of Ravana Rama tactically repelled (9) CATAMARAN [T<=]

17 Wife shrieks about facial hair (8) WHISKERS {W}{SHRIEKS*}

19 Composer facing court to get decision (7) VERDICT {VERDI}{CT}

21 Like you and I after retirement, mature and calm (7) ASSUAGE {AS}{US<=}{AGE}

22 Scoundrel won support for artist (6) WEASEL {W}{EASEL}

24 Judge worried, breaking rules (5) RATER {R}{ATE}{R}

Reference List

Right = R, Parking = P, Tango = T, Bar = T, Lecturer = L, Old = O, Fellow = F, Work = OP, Book = B, Wife = W, Court = CT, Won = W, Rule = R