No 13651, Saturday 03 Sep 2022, Arden

ACROSS

6   Specific action to allow some growth (5) CACTI [T]

7   Evergreen — only boss gets named (8) OLEANDER {O}{LEA{N}DER}

10 Information over wearing cap in the country (7) SENEGAL {SE{GEN<=}AL}

11 See those wandering in the country (7) LESOTHO {L{THOSE*}O}

12 First one to involve Netherlands in tragedy (7) OTHELLO {One}{T{HELL}O}

13 Arab people in the desert mostly (7) SARACEN {SA{RACE}Nd}

14 I let Carlson exchange a white knight, perhaps (3,8)  SIR LANCELOT*

19 Cut tested over a short distance (7) TRIMMED {TRI{MM}ED}

21 Intelligence gathering, oddly, Nepal's in shock (7)  NONPLUS {NO{NePaL}US}

23 Democratic country's review of convention on nobility (7) DUKEDOM {D}{UK}{MODE<=}

25 Come back for rent, Bill loses cover (7) RIPOSTE {RIP}{pOSTEr}

26 Sad day, have to throw away (8) DOWNCAST {D}{OWN}{CAST}

27 Fast runner finds direction on ground (5) ELAND {E}{LAND}

DOWN

1   One therefore supports electric plant (8) ACANTHUS {AN}{THUS}<=>{AC}

2   Watch over royal bard (6) VIRGIL {VI{R}GIL}

3   Playwright's Christmas chicken (4,6) NOEL COWARD {NOEL}{COWARD}

4   Ring oddly prevails (4) PEAL PrEvAiLs

5   Explicit pessimism brings up something rotten (6) SEPTIC [T<=]

6   Vehicle covers way only on one wheel (6) CASTOR {CA{ST}{O}R}

8   Nothing to sort out inside air passage (7) NOSTRIL {N{SORT*}IL}

9   Crazy only protects, only crazy (5) LOONY {LO{O}NY*}

13 Back on rail, obviously not the best (6,4) SECOND RATE {SECOND}{RATE}

15 A month to raise and another to fast (7) RAMADAN {A}{MAR}<={AND*}

16 Nicaragua's capital is Managua, it has its own charm (8) TALISMAN [T]

17 Go through class report, you should identify the finalists (5) STUDY Tail Acrostic

18 Army division's final rise (6) ASCEND {ASC}{END}

20 Stationery item turns to pink (6) INKPOT*

22 Big city makes one sleepless, in short (6) NAPLES NAPLESs

24 Second time going around a water body (4) MOAT {MO}{A}{T}

Reference List

Only = O, Named = N, Information = GEN, Cap = SEAL, See = LO, Netherlands = HELL, People = RACE, Desert = SAND, Short distance = MM< Democratic = D, Convention = MODE, Bill = POSTER, Day = D, Direction = E(East)

One = AN, Electric = AC, Watch = VIGIL, Royal = R, Christmas = NOEL, Chicken = COWARD, Back = SECOND, Rail = RATE, Second = MO, Time = T

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Reference list word, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution Indicator, Opposite indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous