No 13754, Wednesday 04 Jan 2023, Arden

Rangoli by Gowri

Solution to 6A 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

6   Caterwaul and attack one in the middle (5) M?A?L (Addendum - MIAUL {M{1}AUL} - See comments)

7   Misery under long pine (8) LANGUISH {L}{ANGUISH}

10 Trade non-taxable - no tax in this country (7) LEBANON{NON+taxABLE}*

11 Record followed by a record that's hollow - reject it (7) DISCARD {DISC}{A}{Re..rD}

12 Wild pig with a growth to match (7) WARTHOG {A+GROWTH}*

13 Happiness seeing a Muslim in a chapel (7) GALILEE {G{ALI}LEE}

14 Defoliant used - not within age limits (5,6) AGENT ORANGE {AGE}{NOT*}{RANGE}

19 Regular one comes in to join (7) SOLDIER {SOLD{1}ER}

21 Spray for salesroom, perhaps it's open at both ends (7) AEROSOL sALESROOm*

23 Fuel oil at the bottom will catch fire (7) LIGNITE {oiL}{IGNITE}

25 Rush back over the base, troop leader's at the lowest level (7) DEEPEST {S{E}PEED<=}{Tr..p}

26 Bear's breeches can therefore follow one (8) ACANTHUS {CAN}{THUS}<=>{A}

27 First lot goes into lot of compost (5) MULCH {MU{Lot}CH}

DOWN

1   Perhaps carry contents up to the capital (8) CANBERRA {CAN BE}{cARRy<=}

2   Wrap up the last of the strudel in a piece of cake (6) CLINCH {C{s...eL}INCH}

3   Real thing about student admission - could be a regular feature before exams (3-7) ALL-NIGHTER {REAL+THING}* over {L}

4   Eat up in an Oklahoma city (4) ENID<=

5   Rate for a small piece of canvas (6) ASSAIL {A}{S}{SAIL}

6   Country gets a point from another country (6) MALAWI {MAL{A}{W}I}

8   Greek character represented by state with wild lions (7) UPSILON {UP}{LIONS*}

9   Summer slithers away (5) ADDER [DD}

13 I do mix with Germans and over indulge on food (10) GORMANDISE {I+DO+GERMANS}*

15 Raising clamour to have idly regularly is omission (7) ELISION {NOIS{IdLy}E<=}

16 Wind perhaps set in too soon (8) EASTERLY {EA{SET*}RLY}

17 Penny on fish, not on song (5) PSALM {P}{SALMon}

18 How chickens grasp? (6) CLUTCH [DD]

20 Cricket side on a controversy - disheartened by what they inherited (6) LEGACY {LEG}{A}{Co...rY}

22 Hey! Rum cocktail is watery (6) RHEUMY*

24 One chooses to suppress the report (4) ECHO [T]

Reference List

Long = L, Base = E, Student = L, Small = S, Point = W(west), Penny = P