No 13555, Friday 13 May 2022, Arden

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY

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ACROSS

1   Hold up without support from a language scholar (8) HEBRAIST {HE{BRA}IST}

5   Drink very quietly, nothing in a war torn city (6) ALEPPO {ALE}{PP}{0}

10 Battens used to stop big fireworks, perhaps (4,3) TEST BAN*

11 Authorise to return partly, felt it nearby (7) ENTITLE [T<=]

12 Had a run in with a criminal — a hard nut to crack (5) ACORN {A{CO{R}N}

13 Almost fail to stop disturbance, being extremely biased (9) UNFAIREST {UN{FAIl}REST}

14 Drunk has several of them set up (4-4-4) HALF-SEAS-OVER *

18 Question about claim — is it another unusual trait? (12) WHIMSICALITY {WH{CLAIM+IS+IT}*Y}

21 Primate’s choice — draw one on each side --- (9) ORANGUTAN {OR}{AN}{GUT}{AN}

23 ... it’s a correlation with reduced quota (5) RATIO RATIOn

24 Divine refusal leads to fire and brimstone (7) INFERNO {INFER}{NO}

25 List the various wild flowers (7) THISTLE* 

26 Support foreign guests (6) GUSSET*

27 Order to take charge, evacuating base (8) INDECENT {INDE{Ch..gE}NT}

DOWN

1   Initially tough to stop him, one who kills (6) HITMAN {HI{To..h}M}{AN}

2   Absorptions possible with Paris and another city (6) BOSTON aBsOrpTiONS* [CA]

3   Long Indian jacket worn like countrymen (9) ALBANIANS {L}{BANIAN} in {AS} 

4   Caution: Gas if in circulation, then blood is being produced (14) SANGUIFICATION*

6   It’s unusual, a thing that’s part of law enforcement here (5) LATHI [T] Semi&lit

7   Model exercises both sides, first lady finds it very annoying (3,5) PET PEEVE {PE}{T}{PE}{EVE}

8   Start with open river (8) OVERTURE {OVERT}{URE}

9   Crib over a capital dish (4,10) BEEF WELLINGTON {BEEF}{WELLINGTON}

15 Miserable when relationship gets broken around (9) SATURNINE  {S{A TURN}INE}

16 Feeling love for Carol holding court before Wimbledon final (8) SWOONING {S{WOO}{w...oN}ING}

17 Order fromage frais, roam with wild animals (8) GIRAFFES {GIRAFFES+ROAM=FROMAGE FRAIS}

19 In law, getting out third time means bust (6) STATUE STATUtE

20 Powerful businessman (6) COGENT {CO}{GENT}

22 Scrambled egg or stuff? (5) GORGE*

Reference List

Support = BRA, Very quietly = PP, Run = R, Long = L, Model = T,  Exercise = PE, Time = T