No 14282, Tuesday 17 Sep 2024, Afterdark

Artwork by Prasanna for Vishwakarma day

Solution to 23D 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   Say, diamond prices to US, one had to recalibrate (8,5) PRECIOUS STONE {PRICES+TO+US+ONE}*

10 Reject original sound track, one should primarily enter contest (9) OSTRACISE {Or...l}{So..d}{Tr..k}{RAC{1}{Sh...d}E}

11 Expression of approval from supporter, very outstanding basically (5) BRAVO {BRA}{Very}{Ou...g}

12 Triple compound of nitre... (5) TRINE*

13 ...say, found on border, towards US (9) STATESIDE {STATE}{SIDE}

14 Labours seen at corner have starter of soup (6) SWEATS {SW}{EAT}{Soup}

16 Counter provided some nachos, apples, oranges in the last-minute (5) FINAL {IF<=}{Na...s}{Ap...s}L L from?

19 Former NZ cricketer is a rabbit (5) CONEY [DD]

20 Seaming wicket in first ground behind South End primarily (6) SEWING {W}{IN}{Gr...d}<=>{S}{End}

25 Unusual manual, so First Officer's confounded (9) ANOMALOUS {MANUAL+SO+Of...r}*

26 Country special in a mess (5) SPAIN {SP}{IN+A}*

27 Plant in garden placed behind electricity meter (5) EMBED {BED}<=>{E}{M}

28 Pastor Frost at stage between 8 pm and 10 pm IST (5,4) PRIME TIME {P}{RIME}{TIME}

29 Kindly suggest new heater to be given to daughter (13) TENDERHEARTED {TENDER}{HEATER*}{D}

DOWN

2   Say, advance for shopkeeper to issue 50 for note (8) RETAINER RETAI(-l+n)NER

3   Primarily cringe-worthy, destroy trend (5) CRAZE {Cr...y}{RAZE}

4   Say, windows in old town-house (vacated) is redundant (6) OTIOSE {IOS} in {O}{To...sE}

5   Outline track is incomplete near a city, say (8) SCENARIO {SCENt}{A}{RIO}

6   Mixed water, ale and some bourbon in the dishes (9) TABLEWARE {WATER+ALE+Bo...n}*

7   Initially not interested in procuring AC in compound (6) NIACIN {Not}{In...d}{AC}{IN}{

8   Unborn child be enemy to US ? No nothing. (6) FOETUS {FOE}{To}{US}

9   King of Rajasthan employed ambitious leaders from a peninsular region in Asia (5) KOREA  Acrostic

15 For a change, wanted HOD who's ambidextrous (3-6) TWO-HANDED*

17 Erratic bowler without power, amateur, worse than expected (5,3) BELOW PAR {BOWLER}*{ over {P}{A}

18 OK to hire the greatest singer first and settle (8) FINALISE {FIN{ALI}{Si...r}E}

21 A bird is seen with princess during good times (6) GANNET {ANNE} in {G}{T}

22 Alter? Alter afterwards (5) LATER*

23 Possible to replace one with unionist as substitute (6) ?O?B?E (Addendum - DOUBLE DO(-a+u)UBLE - See comments)

24 Dream like prince having passion (6) ASPIRE {AS}{P}{IRE}

26 Sweden's Ministry of External Affairs rule is a slander (5) SMEAR {S}{MEA}{R}

Reference List

Supporter = BRA, Very = V, Wicket = W, South = S, Electricity = E, Meter = M, Pastor = P, Daughter = D, 50 = L, Note = N, Old = O, Power = P, Amateur = A, Greatest = ALI, Good = G, Times = T, Unionist = U, Prince = P, Sweden = S, Rule = R

No 14281, Monday 16 Sep 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 6A 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   Vehicle reverses on street at a circle, basically near a small powerhouse (10) SUBSTATION {BUS<=}{ST}{AT}{1}{O}{Near}

6   Girl at a US city takes a ship (4) ?A?S (Addendum - LASS {LA}{SS} - See comments)

10 Registration made with specialist for admission of rabbi and aged people without 500 (9) ENROLMENT {EN{R}{OLd MEN}T}

11 Mark found in Insta intermittently (5) STAIN [T]

12 With Delhi, Thane too served English dish (4-2-3-4) TOAD IN THE HOLE {DELHI+THANE+TOO}*

14 Grasped new gun after corps left (5) CLUNG {GUN}*<=>{C}{L} Corps/C?

15 Let off former lover, one using speed (9) EXONERATE {EX}{ONE}{RATE}

17 Thracian gladiator to wrestle with wild cat at America (9) SPARTACUS {SPAR}{CAT*}{US}

21 Bring the foot down slowly, tread on mat, prostrate in the front (5) STOMP Acrostic

22 Aunt roasting some lamb, gets burned leading to suffocation (13) STRANGULATION {AUNT+ROASTING+Lamb}*

24 A German had a gemstone (5) AGATE {A}{G}{ATE}

25 Smoking nicotine around hospital puts one precariously close to trouble (2,4,3) ON THIN ICE {NICOTINE}* over {H}

26 A piece of satin or same type of fabric (4) SILK {Sa..n}{ILK}

27 Persistent and aggressive sellers hound a specialist (10) RELENTLESS {REL{ENT}LESS*}

DOWN

1   Ice mixed with some cocaine? PT miss has doubt (10) SCEPTICISM {ICE+C+PT+MISS}*

2   Predatory man seen in pub, Dracula lacking love, is drunk (9) BARRACUDA {BAR}{DRACUlA}*

3   Powerful, legendary archer in Germany (7) TELLING {TELL}{IN}{G}

4   Article on a tree abridged at the stage (7) THEATRE {THE}{A}{TREe} 

5   One then got tails cut working constantly (2,3,2) ON THE GO {ONe}{THEn}{GOt}

7   Observant king replaced by another and nothing changes (5) AWARE AWA(-r+k}E

8   Chant for good after lapse (4) SING {G}<=>{SIN}

9   As an animal loses the first step on land... (6) ASHORE {AS}{HORsE}

13 ...unarmed Pole was confused and received a few directions (10) WEAPONLESS {POLE+WAS}*over {N}{E}{S}

16 Heartless. Hate police officer in England; original inhabitant (9) ABORIGINE {ABhOR}{IG}{IN}{E}

18 Lathe operator in a bad pitch (6) TURNER [DD]

19 Hint at criminal's message (7) CONNOTE {CON}{NOTE}

20 Travel stop, having tea, in conversation with the French (7) SHUTTLE {SHUT}{(~tea)T}{LE}

21 Triages conducted at island, perhaps (7) SEAGIRT*

22 A sluggish person uncovers cycling (5) SNAIL (+s)SNAIL(-s)

23 Service the crowd (4) MASS [DD]

Reference List

Street = ST, Ship = SS, Specialist = ENT, Rabbi = R, 500 = D, Corps = C, Left = L, German = G, Hospital = H, Cocaine = C, Love = L, Germany = G, King = K,R, Good = G, England = E, The in French = LE