No 13396, Monday 08 Nov 2021, Vidwan

Solution to 14A 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

9   Cram the ground for game being played again (7) REMATCH*

10 Check from a source (7) EXAMINE {EX}{A}{MINE}

11 Joint bank lending division (5) ANKLE [T]

12 Maoists are detached, read minds (3,6) RED GUARDS {REaD}{GUARDS}

13 Something consumed casually (4) IDLY [DD]

14 Blame the French source like Spooner (6) M?L?G? (Addendum - MALIGN (~ la mine to malign) - See comments)  

18 On the contrary, sitting First Lady is a survivor (4,3,8) LAST MAN STANDING (Opposite of sitting first lady)

20 Reverses briefs, one goes out wearing nothing! (6) UNDOES UND(-1+o)OES

22 He fights back in courtroom usually (4) SUMO [T<=]

26 Yes, leaving old Mumbai. It’s lost, essentialy varicosed, too loud (9) BOMBASTIC {BOMBAy}{ITS*}{v..iCo..d}

27 Mostly family constitutes a criminal organisation (5) MAFIA {FAMIly}*{A} Mostly means how many letters  2.3, 4 ... 

28 Occasionally seen as laid-back on the coast creature (3,4) SEA LION {SeEn+As+LaId}{ON}

29 Highland philosopher, as some may call him (7) PLATEAU (~plato)

DOWN

1   Drama about sick, old beast (9) ARMADILLO {DRAMA*}{ILL}{O}

2   Recommendation for an addict — a special kind of cigarette (9) SMOKELESS {SMOKE LESS}

3   Is it the base metal ultimately? (5) STEEL Tail Acrostic Semi&lit

4   Abel’s position at the Lord’s (5,3) THIRD MAN [DD]

5   What one calls a system where only a handful reportedly ploughed land, knight being absent (6) FEUDAL (~few){FEU}{LAnD}* Semi&lit

6   It breathes in air in traditional air-conditioner, absorbing oxygen and ultimately facilitating movement (5,4) FALUN GONG {FA{LUNG}G{O}N{f...nG} Anno pending (Addendum - {FA{LUNG}{O}N}{f...nG} - See comments)

7   This bold sort makes billboard sign (5) LIBRA {LIBRA+BOLD}*=BILLBOARD} [CA]

8   Flirt starts to talk enticingly after spouse exits (5) TEASE Acrostic

15 A small, not rare kind of rock, a building block (5,4) AMINO ACID {A}{MINOr}{ACID}

16 Being in flux, one question UEFA mostly lied about (9) LIQUEFIED {L{1}{Q}{UEFa}IED}

17 Donkey roaming around America (9) IGNORAMUS {ROAMING}*{US}

19 Sip beverage (South-Indian style), reportedly for proof (4,4) TEST COPY (~taste kapi)

21 Musically, it could be perfect name for very powerful stuff that moves the world (6) OCTANE OCTA(+n-v)NE

23 A black-American English insult (5) ABUSE {A}{B}{US}{E}

24 City stiffled by Tottenham manager (5) AMMAN [T]

25 Coat brand’s about solemnity at heart (5) SMEAR {S{soleMnity}EAR}

Reference List

Are = A, The in French = LA, Yes = Y, Old = O, Knight = N, Rare = R, Kind of rock = ACID(rock), Question = Q, Name = N, Very = V, Black = B, English = E

TalePiece

By Dr RKE

In a lane near Meenakshi AMMAN temple, Madurai, is a tiny non-descript shop without any BILLBOARD SIGN. You will recognise it by the pot-bellied man (much like a SUMO wrestler) in a white dhoti and a sleeveless banian with his forehead SMEARed in holy ash and vermillion kumkum. Not to mention the BOMBASTIC songs coming from the old-fashioned cassette player. This is the destination for all IDLY lovers. It is popularly known as the Shanmugam Pillai malligai (jasmine) idly for its pure white colour and fluffiness. There is a bench but most customers have to stand on their ANKLEs on the pavement to taste this fabled idly. I have always wondered what high- OCTANE fuel he uses to keep the tiny shop SMOKELESS, in spite of the two stoves that work non-stop. This idly served with a LIQUEFIED thin sambar, kaara chutney and podi on the side, dished out on a stainless STEEL plate with a banana leaf cut to a round shape is sure to TEASE your tase buds. I guess someone must EXAMINE and find out what special AMINO ACID is there in the ulundu (urad dal) that he gets from his native village, that would make this idly to be the LAST MAN STANDING, if there were to be a competition for the best idly in the Deccan PLATEAU.

Apart from Pillai and his teenage son, there is no THIRD MAN who works there, for there is simply no space in that little shop. Madurai street food is much ABUSEd and MALIGNed, for its lack of cleanliness but you don’t need to be a VIDWAN- any IGNORAMUS knows that when eaten piping hot, the bacteria have no chance. I heard that he has raised his price recently. No, it is not because of the rising cost of production- he has to pay the MAFIA run by the local councillor protection money every month. If you want to do something for sustaining this culinary delight of Madurai, please pin it on Google Maps, tweet about it and post it on Facebook and Insta. I have done my bit by writing this talepiece.