The Sunday Crossword No 3235, Sunday 01 Jan 2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

ACROSS

1   Features of characters in le Carré's dénouements? (5,7) ACUTE ACCENTS Definition by example

10 In Cologne, a restaurant that's most convenient (7) NEAREST [T]

11 Smaller road? Stop! (4-3) TURN-OFF [DD]

12 Rouse rudely, offering French bread (5) EUROS*

13 Top award designation Everyman's beginning to enter ... no, second-tier (8) NOBELIST {Ev...n} in {NO}{B}{LIST}

15 Presiding over pacification? (10) MODERATING [DD]

16 So, giant’s coming back (4) ERGO<=

18 Slurps noisily, a failing (4) LAPS (~lapse)

20 Top courier redirected somewhere in Caribbean (6,4) PUERTO RICO*

22 Authorising documents conflict with tirades (8) WARRANTS {WAR}{RANTS}

24 Feeling pain as good bananas rejected (5) STUNG {G}{NUTS}<=

26 About to appear in misguided reboot in 31 days’ time (7) OCTOBER {O{C}TOBER*}

27 Between times, present duck in addition (7) THERETO {T}{HERE}{T}{O}

28 Is fast, reckless deed providing gratification? (12) SATISFACTION {IS+FAST}*{ACTION}

DOWN

2   Used grill to cook leafy veg, did you say? (7) CHARRED (~chard)

3   What’s shown when terribly austere, right? Wrong (8) TREASURE {AUSTERE+R}* Semi&lit

4   Topless poet wanting chips in a pot? (4) ANTE dANTE

5   Tighten one's belt in joint confines (3,7) CUT CORNERS {CUT}{CORNERS}

6   Bundle of fibres in cheek (5) NERVE [DD]

7   Around India, gift-giving party's more flamboyant (7) SHOWIER {SHOW{I}ER}

8   Fail to get most out of what comes from lumbering Welsh poem? (5,4,4) UNDER MILK WOOD {UNDER}{MILK}{WOOD}

9   Fast food galoot’s cooked with no end of fries: that’s not helping (1,3,3,2,4) A FAT LOT OF GOOD {FAsT+FOOD+GALOOT}* 

14 Truss with truce, uneasy arrangements (10) STRUCTURES*

17 Most rambunctious, TS Eliot’s preface is one about … about uprising (8) NOISIEST {T}{S}El..t}{IS}{1}{ON}<=

19 Wicked sailors taking exercise, swapping hands (7) PIRATES PI(-l+r)RATES

21 Indication naming unborn through esoteric Roman obstetrics, primarily? (2,5) IN UTERO Acrostic &lit

23 Senior religious figure, a bold social-media nuisance (5) ABBOT {A}{B}{BOT}

25 Pet names including something fiery and Italian (4) ETNA [T]

Reference List

Second = B, Good = G, About = C, Time = T, Right = R, India = I, About = ON, Bold = B