No 12555, Thursday 21 Feb 2019, Lightning

ACROSS
1   Excellent spinner cut (3-5) TOP-NOTCH {TOP}{NOTCH}
5   Delivery of drink around morning (6) BEAMER {BE{AM}ER}

9   Not spiritual, four getting into revelry (8) CARNIVAL {CARN{IV}AL}
10 Support overwhelms firm — it could bring good luck (6) MASCOT {MAS{CO}T}
12 Big oriental ship missing tip (5) LARGE L{bARGE} L from? (Addendum - LARGessE - See comments)
13 Made tulip arrangement in abundance (9) AMPLITUDE*
14 Respect flier with difficulty (6) ADMIRE {AD}{MIRE}
16 Typical of young woman interrupting commander in chief (7) CLASSIC {C{LASS}IC}
19 Outlast heat, reach hidden auditorium (7) THEATRE [T]
21 Emperor threw a royal case (6) CAESAR {A+R+CASE}*
23 Speak for salesman with grudge (9) REPRESENT {REP}{RESENT}
25 Style of European shoe — hollow (5) ECLAT {E}{CLeAT}
26 Measure energy with trap inside machine (6) ENGINE {EN}{GIN}{E}
27 Indifferent head missing success by chance with agency (8) LUKEWARM {fLUKE}{W}{ARM}
28 Scribble on sheet’s top inch (6) SCRAWL {Sh..t}{CRAWL}
29 Instrument with small slow drip (8) STRICKLE {S}{TRICKLE}

DOWN
1   Essay (story) without chapter on king (6) TACKLE {TA{C}{K}LE}
2   Bird on segment of raised surface (9) PARTRIDGE {PART}{RIDGE}

3   Not beginning to co-exist? Its branch could foster peace (5) OLIVE {tO}{LIVE}

4   Extraordinary race had become a farce (7) CHARADE*
6   Get rid of aid — create confusion (9) ERADICATE*
7   Pharma cautioned somewhat in this island (5) MACAU [T]
8   Cut down resistance on English Channel (8) RETRENCH {R}{E}{TRENCH}
11 Endlessly show Mahabharata, say (4) EPIC dEPICt
15 Kin he won’t blend with privy to special information (2,3,4) IN THE KNOW*
17 Informal conversation at track outside shopping complex (5,4) SMALL TALK {S{MALL}TALK}
18 Say consumed top of red snapper filleted and flipped for appetizers (8) STARTERS {STA{Red}TE}{Sn...eR<=}
20 Regular cricket side left Engineer out (4) EVEN EleVEN
21 Feline costume? (7) CATSUIT [E]

22 Remain without a setter describing one puzzle (6) STYMIE {STaY}{M{1}E}
24 Attendant with right mobile device (5) PAGER {PAGE}{R}
25 Fuel emission contained resin (5) ELEMI [T]

Bhargav's Talepiece

YU YAN

Student Yu Yan was from MACAU and a TOP NOTCH dancer.  She was very much IN THE KNOW of beauty treatment and would often exfoliate her face with OLIVE oil. Used ELEMI for aroma therapy.

She was often seen in a CAT SUIT and was chosen to REPRESENT her institute in the upcoming THEATRE CARNIVAL.

Needless to say she had a LARGE following of ADMIRERS.

What happened next?

GRID

No 12554, Wednesday 20 Feb 2019, Incognito

ACROSS
8   Eatery in Delhi is without heating, to start with (4) DELI DELhI
9   Meets English nobleman with eastern money (10) ENCOUNTERS {EN}{COUNT}{E}{RS}
10 Igloo collapsed around girl's male escort (6) GIGOLO {GI{G}OLO*}
11 Wide road popular with theatre-goers (8) BROADWAY {BROAD}{WAY}

12 Thick letters from brave at front (4,4) BOLD FACE {BOLD}{FACE}
14 Artists hide magician's stick in country (6) RWANDA {R{WAND}A}

16 Luminous body seen in some farthest areas (4) STAR [T]
17 Hark! Lost part's deep inside (5) HEART {HEAR}{losT}
18 Inter in English town (4) BURY [DD]
19 Firebug expels son in favour of model painter (6) ARTIST AR{-son+t}TIST
21 Kyoto Polo gymkhana's contribution to a branch of maths (8) TOPOLOGY [T]
23 Summary of something existing in thought but without physical existence (8) ABSTRACT [DD]
26 Putting fastener in gear part and managing (6) COPING {CO{PIN}G}
27 Heard store is renovated for animal business (5,5) HORSE TRADE*
28 Bank on impure lying characters partly (4) RELY [T]

DOWN
1   The police are travelling first part of ride in chopper (10) HELICOPTER {THE+POLICE}*{Ride}
2   Detective Inspector's command leads to confusion (8) DISORDER {DI'S}{ORDER}
3   Bengali? Or, a Spanish lady? (6) SENORA {SEN}{OR}{A}
4   Protective crust over wound formed by skin cells and blood initially (4) SCAB Acrostic
5   Actuator may become a despot (8) AUTOCRAT*
6   Ancient measure of distance between sporting venues? (6) STADIA [DD]
7   Killer whale commonly seen in Majorca and Minorca (4) ORCA [T]
13 Correct previous part of drama (5) EXACT {EX}{ACT}
15 Scottish dagger carefully handled for Douglas Adams's detective (4,6) DIRK GENTLY {DIRK}{GENTLY}
17 Stolen trousers or short shorts? (3,5) HOT PANTS {HOT}{PANTS}

18 Rough estimate that can be made at playground? (8) BALLPARK [DD]
20 To be exceptional, one has to have a score of at least 120 in this trial led by setter and Bond's gizmo supplier (1,1,4) I Q TEST {I}{Q}{TEST}
22 Fairchild's aircraft cost a lot of money (6) PACKET [DD]
24 Reserve reading material (4) BOOK [DD]
25 Reverse shop vehicle (4) TRAM <=

Bhargav's Talepiece

VANI !

Vani had no HEART to study diligently. One who is likely to score low in an IQ TEST, the EXACT reason for her to join IIM was to get a good catch.

She had difficulties in COPING with her studies but was seen hopping around campus in HOT PANTS, eager for some close ENCOUNTERS with Paul. 

Her BALLPARK estimate of the wealth of Paul's family was not very much off the mark and she wished to one day become SENORA Paul.

But at present times the position of her STARS was in DISORDER....

What happened next?

GRID