No 13348, Thursday 09 Sep 2021, Afterdark

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

1   Encourage fight to obtain a container (3,3) EGG BOX {EGG}{BOX}

5   Volcanic glass in observation at India is broken (8) OBSIDIAN {OBS}{INDIA}*

9   Sex change operation in Spring? Lot (8) MOUNTAIN (-f+m)MOUNTAIN

10 Artists depend little... (6) RARELY {RA}{RELY}

11 ... on gab to get a container (7,3) PLASTIC BAG {GAB}* [RA]

12 After leaving me its gloom (4) D?R? 

13 Contracts for bands after a ball (8) ABRIDGES {RIDGES}<=>{A}{B}

16 Could be maid or lover, tendency is to follow law indeed in the first place (4-2) LIVE-IN {VEIN}<=>{Law}{In...d}

17 Day scholar cycling with maiden without help; crazy people (6) MADMEN {D}<=>{MA} and {MaidEN}

19 Death by vain fight, one entering with boxer, totally gutted (8) FATALITY {FighT} over {A} with {ALI}{To...lY}

21 Sketch of small gear... (4) SKIT {S}{KIT}

22 ... say, gear gets ticks (5,5) STICK SHIFT {TICKS}* [RA]

25 Teak, Ironwood, Mahogany, Birch, Elm, Red Sanders primarily are similar to this (6) TIMBER Acrostic Definition by example

26 Cowboy perhaps new, heartbroken covered by journalist (8) NEATHERD {N}{E{HEART*}D}

27 Company left after setting up telescopes in towers (8) STEEPLES TELEScoPES*

28 A lucky charm from Letham, a Scottish town (6) MASCOT [T]

DOWN

2   Gory, hair-raising operation undergoing, likely to look at the sources for spirit (5) GHOUL Acrostic

3   Throw weight behind boy to get reward (5) BONUS {ONUS}<=>{B}

4   Unknown grainy representation while diagnosing perhaps (1-6) X-RAYING {X}{GRAINY}*

5   Collection of only nimbus clouds (7) OMNIBUS {O}{NIMBUS}*

6   It is used wrongly by modern girls — old bathing implement (7) STRIGIL {IT+GIRLS}*

7   Lived with a madcap (9) DAREDEVIL {LIVED}* [RA]

8   Say, a doctor with substance, everyone at emergency room goes to first (9) ALLERGIST {GIST}<=>{ALL}{ER}

14 Debar bishop’s programme after absence (9) BLACKLIST {B}{LIST}<=>{LACK}

15 One, two men on list take turn but permanent (9) IMMUTABLE {1}{MM}{U}{TABLE}

18 Descendant’s back with 500000000000, it’s an opening perhaps (7) NOSTRIL {SON}{TRIL} How is 500000000000 = TRIL?

19 Cooks adding a bit of nutmeg and dill seeds for allies (7) FRIENDS {FRIE{Nu...g}{Dill}S}

20 Somehow make it a target (4,3) TAKE AIM*

23 Hotel’s arrival gate has obstacles perhaps (2-3) HA-HAS {H}{Ar...l}{HAS}

24 Fine mythical ship in US city (5) FARGO {F}{ARGO}

Reference List

Observation = OBS, Artist = RA, Ball = B, Day = D, New = N, Journalist = ED, Company = CO, Boy = B, Unknown = X, Only = O, Bishop = B, Men = M, Hotel = H, Fine = F