No 13274, Tuesday 15 Jun 2021, Lightning

Solution to 27A 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   Narrowly avoided collision beside a lady (4,4) NEAR MISS {NEAR}{MISS}

5   A rise in quantity (6) AMOUNT {A}{MOUNT}

9   Hold back and relax with shower (8) RESTRAIN {REST}{RAIN}

10 Attract engineer at a particular stage in life (6) ENGAGE {ENG}{AGE}

12 Man perhaps following a narrow passage (5) AISLE {ISLE}<=>{A}

13 Saint missing a space trip arranged for each person (3,6) PER CAPITA {A+sPACE+TRIP}*

14 Small hand of a timekeeper (6) MINUTE [DD]

16 Authorise measure by earl for one (7) ENTITLE {EN}{TITLE}

19 Fashionable to taste one drink primarily bland (7) INSIPID {IN}{SIP}{1}{Dr..k}

21 Don’t pay attention to part of design or execution (6) IGNORE [T]

23 Mesh left in rocket damaged (9) INTERLOCK {L+IN+ROCKET}* 

25 Society with argument against adopting one heir (5) SCION {S}{C{1}ON}

26 Car mat thrown on runway (6) TARMAC*

27 Program — one that may be called Alpha, perhaps (8) ?O?E?A?E (Addendum - CODENAME {CODE}{NAME} - See comments)

28 Live without bishop next to river going left (6) RESIDE {bESIDE}<=>{R}

29 Get back temporary relief when president finally usurps power (8) RETRIEVE RE(-p+t)TRIEVE

DOWN

1   Reasonable pattern of behaviour by a liberal (6) NORMAL {NORM}{A}{L}

2   They kill two animals at home with tip of sword (9) ASSASSINS {ASS}{ASS}{IN}{Sw..d}

3  Code about lacking compassion (5) MORSE reMORSE

4   Paint on second drink (7) STIPPLE {S}{TIPPLE}

6   Gent with brown headgear moving up in the City (9) MANHATTAN {MAN}{TAN}<=>{HAT}

7   Festival ultimately grand and definitely interesting for starters (5) UGADI Acrostic

8   Generate new style for young adult (8) TEENAGER*

11 Available at no cost (4) FREE [DD]

15 Advantage of superior agency (5,4) UPPER HAND {UPPER}{HAND}

17 Fashionable period, going forward had to stop (9) TERMINATE {IN}{<=>{TERM} and {ATE}

18 Ominous batting, caught by sibling (8) SINISTER {S{IN}ISTER}

20 Let go of container on the way up — about right (4) DROP {D{R}OP<=}

21 At sea, smoker is mostly annoying (7) IRKSOME {SMOKER+Is}*

22 Riemann exemplary contributing to addition (6) ANNEXE [T]

24 Rocky hill in America is shaped like a doughnut (5) TORUS {TOR}{US}

25 Small fruit — pointed one (5) SPEAR {S}{PEAR}

Reference List

Engineer = ENG, Saint = S, Measure = EN, Left = L, Society = S, Bishop = B, River = R, Power = P, Liberal = L, About = RE, Second = S, Batting = IN, Right = R, Small = S