No 13830, Tuesday 04 Apr 2023, WrdPlougher

Solution to 24D 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   Warming up, losing weight finally for finale of world title (7) HEADING HEA(-t+d)DING

7   A brief concern about sharp weapon (5) ARROW {A}{WORRy<=}

9   Pretentious section of partygoers (4) ARTY [T]

10 Certain vitamin tablets essentially chewed (costing money) to get energy (10) INEVITABLE Anno pending (Addendum - {VITAmIN+taBLEts}*{E} - See comments)

11 "Colourful agent, eccentric heartless spy (duet extremely loud)... (8) DYESTUFF {SpY+DUET}*{FF}

13 ... perhaps, Arjuna in Virata's kingdom — climax of movie much fun (excluding leads) — the latter coming first" (6)  EUNUCH {m..iE} with {mUCH}<=>{fUN}

15 Big vehicle, in short, first model in reversing fuel... (4) LIMO {O{Mo..l}IL<=}

17 ... emissions finally, even without margins, to zero (5) SQUAT {e...nS}{eQUATe}  Definition not clear See comments

18 Metamorphosing time for tiny insect (4) MITE*

19 Oral spelling correct – (6) SPOKEN [DD] (Correction - {SP}{OK}{EN} - See comments)

20 Time for a cuppa? Thirstily attack a beer brewed along with a drop of tequila (3,5) TEA BREAK {At..cK+A+BEER+Te...a}*

23 Sewer rats' messes all over the place (10) SEAMSTRESS* 

26 Idiot waterbird (4) LOON [DD]

27 Stirred cha in extremely fancy goblet vessel used for parties (5) YACHT {f..cY}{CHA*}{g...eT}

28 Confirmed bachelor kicked out of Pennsylvanian college (7) ALRIGHT ALbRIGHT

DOWN

1   Milkmaids' apron? (5,5) LADYS SMOCK [E] [DD]

2   Setting grids regularly, still essentially accepted by Maine university (6) MILIEU {M{IL}{stIll}E}{U} IL from? (Addendum - {M{grIds}{reguLarly}{stIll}E}{U} - See comments)

3   Shrek, say — abominable lower-class rogue (4) OGRE ROGuE*

4   Clear sail, going around fine at sea (8) MANIFEST {MA{FINE*}ST} How can a SAIL be a MAST?

5   Fertilizer squeezed into manure agitator (4) UREA [T]

6   Scramble curry (hot, not cold) (5) HURRY (-c+h)HURRY

8   Perhaps it'd claw fierce young woman (7) WILDCAT*

12 Effect of flute changing direction for the audience (5) FRUIT (~ flute to frute)

14 Decipher gloomy rune to reveal superstition you can count on? (10) NUMEROLOGY*

16 Irreverence of cheeky kid that is beginning to trouble you (7) IMPIETY {IMP}{IE}{Tr...e}{You}

17 Importance of tips from consultant in mental health (8) SANCTITY {SAN{Co...nT}ITY}

21 Like kind group (6) ASSORT {AS}{SORT}

22 Raise hand to regularly point (5) ADOPT {hAnD+tO}{PT}

24 Fake shock, completely taken aback in some measure (4) M?C? (Addendum - MOCK [T<=] - See comments)

25 Test match at Edgbaston — for starters, upset over team losing one (4) EXAM {Ma..h}{At}{Ed...n}<= over {XI}

Reference List

Money = M, Energy = E, Spelling = SP, - = (dash) = EN, Bachelor = B, Maine = ME, University = U, Hot = H, Cold = C, Point = PT