No 13148, Tuesday 19 Jan 2021, Karaoke

Solution to 26A 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

1   Auction sale at the location includes diamonds (6) VENDUE {VEN{D}UE}

5   Financing novel “Gone with wind”? (8) ENDOWING {GONE+WIND}*

9   Grand-aunt authorised corporal punishment (8) GAUNTLET {G}{AUNT}{LET}

10 Some season tickets include deferred payments (2,4) ON TICK [T]

11 Work of art at church said to improve law and order (5,5) ALTAR PIECE (~alter peace)

12 Lesotho oppressed inner circle (4) HOOP [T]

13 The bottoms have shiny reflection (5) KEELS<=

14 Knight going out for small drink (6) NOGGIN {N}{GOING*}

17 Potential, kinetic energy is present in plant (6) LIKELY {LI{KE}LY}

19 Lewd lecture initially broadcast live (5) DWELL {LEWD+Le...e}*

22 What you are looking at needs swapping of date and time with determination (4) GRIT GRI(-d+t)T

24 We don’t see them at best inns perhaps (10) ABSTINENTS*

25 Communal society is tough to consume the drug (6) SHARED {S}{HAR{E}D}

26 Spraying device on plane carrying King Henry (8) A?R?R?S? (Addendum - AIRBRUSH {AIRB{R}US}{H} - See comments)

27 Kid is stuck inside railing of staircase (8) BANISTER {BAN{IS}TER}

28 An ugly Greek woman in suspected madhouse? oh, no! (6) MEDUSA MADhoUSE*

DOWN

2   Express messages and intimate letters sent primarily in this way (6) EMAILS Acrostic &lit

3   Academic assignment by setter? I have no idea! (4,3,2)  DONT ASK ME {DON}{TASK}{ME}

4   Blot out newsmen occasionally enjoying extract from movie (7) ECLIPSE {nEwSmEn} over {CLIP}

5   Dietician’s advice on food — “No flesh, avoid minerals initially” (3,4) EAT LESS mEATLESS

6   Dr. No’s ultimate gas/talk in a boring tone (5,2) DRONE ON {DR}{nO}{NEON}

7   Inherently nervous flatfish (5) WITCH tWITChy

8   Ericsson mobile — it can destroy cells! (8) NECROSIS*

15 Hideout protected by hands in fabulous flower (6,3) GOLDEN ROD {GO{L}{DEN}{R}OD}

16 Delhi belly’s attack over Greek goddess (8) DIARRHEA {RAID<=}{RHEA}

18 Ready-to-cook for a very long time (4,3) YEAR DOT*

19 Paradise Lost, not a complete loss of hope (7) DESPAIR PARaDISE*

20 It is satirical when electronic programs, internet gateways initially go on strike (7) EPIGRAM {E}{Pr...s}{In...t}{Ga...s}{RAM}

21 Essentially hostage insists unchanged condition (6) STASIS {hoSTAge}{inSISts}

23 Dangerous asteroid leaves mostly dead bodies (5) TORSI aSTeROId*

Reference List

Diamond = D, Grand = G, Knight = N, Date = D, Time = T, Society = S, Drug = E, King = R, Electronic = E