No 13589, Wednesday 22 Jun 2022, Hypatia

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   Folk in the ground heading to Chepauk (6) ETHNIC {IN+THE}*{Ch...k}

4   Poem in three lines originally in Tamil's deep...consuming time (8) TRISTICH {Ta..l}{R{IST}ICH}

9   Taste a baguette...essentially it's served with dips (3,3) TEA BAG [T]

10 Say Amarnath, parliamentarian eats vada (with hole) in party fixture (4,4) LAVA LAMP {LA{VadA}LA}{MP}

12 Girl feeling tense had to lie (8) MISSTATE {MISS}{T}{ATE}

13 Perhaps, I can be batting around cricket match player (6) IODINE {I{ODI}N}{E}

15 Driver drinking American beer carelessly — he's reneged a contract (5,7) TRUCE BREAKER {TRUC{A+BEER}*KER}

18 Remain doubtful of Reverend's commission on the luxury car (2,2,3,5) BE ON THE FENCE (~fee on thr benz to be on the fence)

21 Detective probing support group on-line for hives? (6) APIARY {A{PI}A}{RY}

22 Son in place of daughter touring Brown University (8) STANFORD {S}{FOR}{D} over {TAN}

24 European snake caught in elevator — it doesn't let you go down (4,4) LIFE BOAT {LIF{E}{BOA}T}

25 Show partly turning free? Never! (6) VENEER [T<=]

26 Compact twin cycles carrying teens regularly (8) C?N?E?S? (Addendum - CONDENSE {(-se)COND(+se)SE} over {tEeNs} - See comments)

27 Fly? What Hypatia does in terrace on vacation (6) TSETSE {SETS} in {Te...cE}

DOWN

1   Guess author's residing in manor (8) ESTIMATE {EST{I'M}ATE}

2   Leaves shade (5,3) HEADS OUT {SHADE}* [RA]

3   Cruel Tsar almost believing that criminal admits mistake (4,3,8) IVAN THE TERRIBLE {BELIEVINg+THAT}* over {ERR}

5   Fictional King switches sides for official (4) REAL (-l+r)REA(-r+l)L

6   Make a digital call? (4,4,7) SNAP ONES FINGERS [CD]

7   Type of gangster entertained by one jerk (6) ITALIC {1}{T{AL}IC}

8   Buzz about hero's first name — Mark? (6) HYPHEN {HYP{Hero}E}{N}

11 Repetitive issue ultimately appearing in Tech complaint (7) ITERANT {IT}{i..uE}{RANT}

14 Engineer came without the new tool (7) MACHETE {MAC{THE*}E*}

16 Department stops working online, ultimately corrupt and lazy (8) INDOLENT {IN{D}OLEN*}{c...pT}

17 Policeman needs information about royal lady (8) GENDARME {GEN}{DA{R}ME}

19 Cigar lit holding tip of lighter has a pungent flavour (6) GARLIC {GAR{Li...r}IC*}

20 Fight at home for meal (6) TIFFIN {TIFF}{IN}

23 Roofs of vinyl are not safe for vehicles (4) VANS Acrostic

Reference List

Tense = T, Had = ATE, Player = E(East in Bridge card game), American = A, Detective = PI(Police Inspector), Support group = AA(Alcoholics Anonymous), Line = RY(Railway), Son = S, Daughter = D, European = E, Gangster = AL(Capone), Name = N, Department = D, Information = GEN, Royal = R