No 12889, Saturday 21 Mar 2020, Gridman

ACROSS

1   Unawareness of old big cat having eaten four (8) OBLIVION {O}{B}{L{IV}ION}
5   Aches for a long time with Poles (6) YEARNS {YEAR}{NS}
9   Setter backs Hindi talk essentially sick and relating to clots (7) EMBOLIC {ME<=}{BOL}{sICk}
10 To rig a mixie involves some paperwork (7) ORIGAMI (T)
11 Most important soldier to hop on (9) PARAMOUNT {PARA}{MOUNT}
12 Express a view: “Leaders of old public institutions not enterprising” (5) OPINE (Acrostic)
13 Every youth leader’s one on your side (4) ALLY {ALL}{Youth}
14 Portrayed as evil, stupid minors having not a shade of remorse indeed (9) DEMONISED {DE{MINOrS*}ED}
17 Thus trade leader’s present and in favour of end to Sale (9) THEREFORE {Trade}{HERE}{FOR}{salE}
19 First letter is first letter backing continent (4) ASIA {A}{IS}{A}}<=
23 “What’s the purpose of green light?” “Pass” (5) FORGO {FOR}{GO}
24 Terms home circulated for electrical resistance calculators (3,6) OHM METERS {TERMS+HOME*}
25 Make too much of what’s plain about account (7) OVERACT {OVER{AC}T}
26 Musical effect confuses lot more (7) TREMOLO {LOT+MORE*}
27 Sorrowful to back that woman as dancer’s teammate (6) DASHER {SAD<=}{HER}

28 Mentioned half of redact is in and attributed (8) CREDITED {C{REDact}ITED}

DOWN
1   Exaggerate the importance of soft song finished first (8) OVERPLAY {OVER}{P}{LAY}
2   Generous // one on the Left (7) LIBERAL (DD)
3   Book quantity (6) VOLUME (DD)
4   Conductor fled in a hurry in the face of this weather condition (8,5) OCCLUDED FRONT {CONDUCTOR+FLED*}
6   Somewhat poised, in-charge is coming at intervals (8) EPISODIC {POISED*}{IC}
7   Become aware of a pack of lies (7) REALISE {RE}{A}{LIES*}
8   Party thus has anger over ultimate impudence (6) SOIREE {SO}{IRE}{impudencE}
10 Exhausted executive group takes a little time to begin repairing removable engine (8,5) OUTBOARD MOTOR {OUT}{BOARD} {MO}{TO}{Repairing}
15 Claim from English spa with no introduction (8) ARROGATE {hARROGATE}
16 Father’s procured weapon with security code (8) PASSWORD {PA}{S}{SWORD}
18 Control run around partner on ship (7) HARNESS {HAR{N}E}{SS}
20 Leave pets? (4,3) STEP OUT {PETS*} Reverse Anagram
21 Manage the cost of a foreign car (6) AFFORD {A}{F}{FORD}
22 The French officer’s beginning to destroy key (6) LEGEND {LE}{GEN}{Destroy}

Reference List

Old=O, Big=B, Four=IV, Poles=NS, Setter=Me, Soldier=Para, Account=Ac, That woman=Her
Soft=P, In-charge=IC, Of=Re, Little time=Mo, Father=Pa, Partner=N, Ship=SS, Foreign=F, The French=Le, Officer=Gen

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, Opposite indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

Dr RKE's TalePiece

Janata curfew

ASIA and Europe are the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The Chinese appetite for wild meat has been DEMONISED and OVERPLAYed as a cause. Virologists REALISE that coronaviruses EPISODICally shift their host and THEREFORE OPINE that human-to-human transmission is now PARAMOUNT. Every Government YEARNS to stop the contagion. Some have OVERACTed with a draconian  lockdown, while the more LIBERAL ones who have permitted SOIREES to go on, are witnessing an unprecedented VOLUME of cases. The PM must be CREDITED with the idea of HARNESSing the people as an ALLY in this battle, as our country can ill-AFFORD the heavy cost of widespread testing. He says "on the day of Janata curfew, do not STEP OUT and  keep your FRONT door OCCLUDED". I  may add "FORGO your Sunday outings, do some pious reading of a LEGEND like the Ramayana, PASS your time by teaching kids some WORD games or ORIGAMI, walk about inside the house to avoid an EMBOLIC complication, mentally holiday by imagining that you are DASHing in the sea on a Goan beach in a boat with an OUTBOARD MOTOR, etc". There is no OHM METER to test the resistance of the public to such measures, but unless we act now, we are sure to be pushed into an OBLIVION. Curfew or not, don't forget to wash your hands.