No 12990, Friday 17 Jul 2020, Arden

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY

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ACROSS
1   Economical to get one in season (7) SPARING {SP{A}RING}
5   Spun around, led to terrible tragedy (7) GYRATED*
9   Cross Indian rail (5) IRATE {I}{RATE}
10 Double setback — for a politician it’s complimentary (9) LAUDATORY {DUAL<=}{A}{TORY}
11 Model got to pose, is spoilt (4,2,3) GOES TO POT*
12 Some of them are often self taught, it’s said (5) TENSE [T]
13 Insect bite, recovered (4) GNAT<=
15 Soldier gets me a flower (8) GARDENIA {G{ARDEN}I}{A}

18 Metal top removed, needs another like 9 perhaps (8) INCENSED {zINC}{NEEDS*}
19 Female works for dandies (4) FOPS {F}{OPS}
22 Only girl with a Greek character (5) OMEGA {O}{MEG}{A}
24 It’s been running for a long time, plan to acquire other routes (9) MOUSETRAP {M{ROUTES*}AP}
26 Starts checking the initial output — in the end, it’s not true (9) FICTIONAL {Ch...g}{The}{In...l}{Ou...t} in {FINAL}
27 Association shows remorse, daughter takes time out (5) GUILD GUIL(-t+d)D
28 Story teller within rights to make someone happy (7) RELATER {R}{ELATE}{R}
29 River flows through state — is it getting support? (7) TRELLIS {T{R}ELL}{IS}

DOWN
1   Pick up eggs and leave, get liquor (6) STINGO {NITS<=}{GO}
2   Old king found a transformation among men (9) AGAMEMNON {A}{AMONG+MEN}*
3   It’s about revolutionary writer — it’s absurd (5) INEPT {I{PEN<=}T}
4   Famous island festival, so space is taken up (9) GALAPAGOS {GALA}{SO GAP<=}

5   Thousand and one, one minus one is drawn (5) GAUNT {G}{A}{UNiT}
6   Cook’s boast, free food (5,4) ROAST BEEF*
7   It’s pointed north, perhaps (5) THORN*
8   Monotonous study of a poet (6) DRYDEN {DRY}{DEN}
14 He provides relief to the criminal (9) THERAPIST {THE}{RAPIST}
16 Embarrassed over thin material, even next swimmer (3,6) RED MULLET {RED}{MULL}{nExT]

17 Just one million, it’s not full (9) IMPARTIAL {1}{M}{PARTIAL}
20 Use force to retain position, finally talk (6) CONFER {FORCE}* over {p...oN}
21 Suit can be used in the garden (6) SPADES [DD]
23 They say, old phone is best (5) EXCEL (~ ex cell)
24 Skipping no good in morning, difference could be small (5) MINOR MORNIng*
25 Dog not born to be a keen observer (5) EAGLE bEAGLE

Reference List
One = A, Indian = I, Soldier = GI, Female = F, Only = O, Daughter = D, Time = T, Right = R, River = R, Thousand = G, Million = M, Old = EX, No = N, Good = G, Born = B

Dr RKE busy in the OT