No 12551, Saturday 16 Feb 2019, Buzzer

Across

1. Crib about master's degree becoming a struggle (6) COMBAT {CO{MBA}T}
5. Be silent softly biting edge of hard-shelled seafood (6) SHRIMP {SH}{RIM}{P}
10. Organised e-learning as a whole (2,7) IN GENERAL {E-LEARNING*}
11. Opening // position that's well suited (5) NICHE (DD)
12. Desi okra's beginning to deaden tongue (5) HINDI {bHINDI}
13. Familiar with spin, positive going for shot (7,2) SKILLED IN {S(-p+KILLED)IN}
14. Not knowing what to do // in deficit (2,1,4) AT A LOSS (DD)
16. Let in again, study at prestigious university (7) READMIT {READ}{MIT}
18. Attempt to seduce date somehow not dirty? (3,2,2) TRY IT ON {TRY+IT+ON+D*} ={NOT+DIRTY}
20. Hate Buzzer no end (expletive) (2,5) BE LOATH {BE Ll}{OATH}
21. Streaming video's end deteriorated dramatically (9) NOSEDIVED {VIDEOS_END*}
23. Coming around before weight gets silly (5) TWERP {{PRE}{WT}<=}
25. Those inclined to refuse nuclear warning (2-3)  NO-MEN {N}{O-MEN}
26. Inexpensive packing box holding collection (5-4) CHEAP-RATE {C{HEAP}RATE}
27. Coves from France, Japan or Germany, special (6) FJORDS {F}{J}[OR}{D}[S}
28. Japanese city kilometres away from its capital, central for stay (6) TOYOTA {TOkYO}{sTAy}

Down

2. With nothing good inside tore off newspaper (5) ORGAN {O}{R{G}AN}
3. Marsupial group one caught, too jumped-up (9) BANDICOOT {BAND}{I}{C}{TOO<=}
4. Has belief to overcome heroin urges (7) THRUSTS {T{H}RUSTS}
5. Say regular red soil for cultivation (7) SOLDIER {RED+SOIL*}
6. Urged nearly having regular checks of the kidneys (5) RENAL {uRgEd}{NeArLy}
7. Disclaim ad a campaign broadcast that's up a tree (9) MACADAMIA (T<=)
8. Kid is hear ten, in gaol for stealing — not encouraging (13) DISHEARTENING (T) Full marks for the attempt at such a long telescopic clue. Not convinced about the surface & the indicator
9. Certain electric phenomena, apt to describe Tesla (5,2,6) MEANT TO HAPPEN {PHENOMENA+APT*} around {T}
15. Content with missionary as a major religious body (4,5) ARYA SAMAJ (T)
17. Palate boy damaged with solvent (4,2,3) ABLE TO PAY {PALATE+BOY*}
19. Sees time running out for very many students (7) NOVICES {NO(-t+V)ICES}
20. Ideal to have doctor primarily endorse this? (3,4) BED REST {BE{D R}{Endorse}ST} &lit
22. Fairy godmother to dress in gold (5)  DONOR {DON}{OR}
24. On reflection dismiss court demand (5) EXACT {AXE<=}{CT}

Reference List

Master's degree=MBA, Be silent=Sh, Softly=P, Positive=P, Date=D, Before= Pre, Weight=Wt, Nuclear=N, France=F, Japan=J, Germany=D, Special=S, Kilometres=K
Nothing=O, Good=G, One=I, Caught=C, Heroin=H, Tesla=T, Time=T, Very=V, Doctor=Dr, Gold=Or, Court=Ct

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

Bhargav's Talepiece

Yeh toh honahee thah?

Rani spoke to her Valentine in HINDI.

ARYA tu yeh toh SAMAJ!

What our friend Paul wished is not really MEANT TO HAPPEN here in India. IN GENERAL we here are very conservative.

No doubt Paul had enough and more money. As a student from Australia he had his own TOYOTA car. Never went for CHEAP RATE gifts. He was easily ABLE TO PAY for costly gifts like MACADAMIA nuts and expensive dresses.

But his spirits had NOSE DIVED.

And the EXACT reason?

(After giving the camisole he had asked Pooja to TRY IT ON (in his presence). The denial was quite DISHEARTENING).

GRID