No 13126, Wednesday 23 Dec 2020, Arden

Solution to 12A 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.

ACROSS

6   Keen to hear this (5) DIRGE [CD]

7   Bet last of the crooks will go and embezzle (8) PECULATE sPECULATE

10 Support against a party is just bluster (7) BRAVADO {BRA}{V}{A}{DO}

11 Had one’s fill — following Indian way in English coastal town (7) MARGATE {ATE}<=>{MARG}

12 Base set apart — moving operating tables (7) I?N?B?E (Addendum - IGNOBLE {IGNOBLE+SET+APART = OPERATING TABLES} [CA] - See comments)

13 Only 50% chance — disastrous for Kingfisher (7) HALCYON Anno pending ( Addendum - {ONLY+CHAnce}* - See comments)

14 Running inspection, a sample (4,2,5) CASE IN POINT*

19 Strange to support greed for MP’s full term, say (7) LUSTRUM {RUM}{<=>{LUST}

21 Fancy without clothes, back to yellowish orange (7) APRICOT {cAPRICe}{TO<=}

23 Against current, displeasure with bat (7) VAMPIRE {V}{AMP}{IRE}

25 West Ham's Terence Brown kept a pet (7) HAMSTER [T]

26 Drop line goes, argument follows in a shrill voice (8) FALSETTO {FAlL}{SET TO}

27 Short and sweet ending of Gaelic tongue (5) TERSE {s..eT}{ERSE}

DOWN

1   Can a gram make a difference to Brandy? (8) ARMAGNAC*

2   Gold initially buried under garden soil (6) BEDAUB {AU}{Bu...d}<=>{BED}

3   No promises broken — did I hear it wrong? (10) SPOONERISM* [CD]

4   The imp leaves quietly for a hustle (4) SCAM SCAMp

5   Second Instruction a child has to follow before running race (6) STEADY {ready STEADY go} [CD]

6   Remains with teacher carrying mattress upstairs (6) DEBRIS {SIR}{BED}<=

8   She sang to the sailors till the very end... (7) LORELEI [CD]

9   ... pulse is zero after the party (5) BEANO {BEAN}{0}

13 To help than to organise an event (10) HEPTATHLON*

15 Attacks mostly cross beams (7) SORTIES {SORe}{TIES}

16 Cat’s up, before one round it’s withdrawn (8) TACITURN {CAT<=}{1}{TURN}

17 Man has left with spice (5) CLOVE {C{L}OVE} 

18 Rodents on the rise, over-exposed; deny them food (6) STARVE {RATS<=}{oVEr}

20 Craft with identical sheet, detailed (6) SAMPAN {SAMe}{PANe}

22 From South some wrote to me recently — keeping aloof? (6) REMOTE [T<=]

24 Fills position from top to bottom (4) EATS (-s)EAT(+s)S

Reference List

Support = BRA, Against = V, Party = DO, Indian way = MARG,  Line = L, Quietly = P, Man = COVE. Left = L