No 14060, Monday 01 Jan 2024, Arden

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Cruel fact - good nobody is held responsible (3,2,3) ACT OF GOD*

5   Sign on Kerala borders showing old European currency (6) MARKKA {MARK}{Ke..lA}

10 One note, returned one flower (7) ANEMONE {AN}{ME<=}{ONE}

11 Call allowed, it's bit of a shock (7) RINGLET {RING}{LET}

12 A tax for a piece of land (5) ATOLL {A}{TOLL}

13 Small child and happiness - it's some kind of a bonding (9) CHELATION {CH}{ELATION}

14 Animals grab, devour - perhaps as appetizers (4,8) HORS DOEUVRES {HORS{DEVOUR*}ES

18 He sells vegetables and fish around various metros (12) COSTERMONGER {CO{METROS*}NGER}

21 Distant objects were worth very little (9) FARTHINGS {FAR}{THINGS}

23 Chief of a clan in part of Mumbai (5) THANE [DD]

24 After song have to take rest (3,4) LIE DOWN {LIED}{OWN}

25 One that goes around with gold tooth (7) ORBITER {OR}{BITER}

26 Deplorable time spent on the sidelines - hate it (6) D?T?S? (Addendum - DETEST {De...lE}{TimE}{SpenT} - See comments)

27 He sticks to the Arden puzzle (8) ADHERENT*

DOWN

1   Movie on reincarnation (6) AVATAR [DD]

2   Trader banks on capital turnover, gets a shock (6) TREMOR {Tr..eR}{ROME<=}

3   Pay for it John, with first two seats, can travel freely (9) FOOTLOOSE {FOOT}{LOO}{SEats}

4   Free throw, China gets in leaves a huge depression (8,6) OPENCAST MINING {OPEN}{CAST}{M{IN}ING}

6   Starts again, people never expected a sleep disorder (5) APNEA Acrostic

7   Ron liked special prayer in Jerusalem (3,5) KOL NIDRE*

8   Wow! Nehra got hundred! (8) ASTONISH {AS{TON}ISH} He is ASHISH and not ASISH

9   Utter madness, only one Excalibur, perhaps will keep a promise (4,2,4,4) TRUE TO ONES WORD {UTTER*}{O}{ONE}{SWORD}

15 Cannot drink, eat - it's inedible (9) UNEATABLE {UN{EAT}ABLE}

16 Rub in front as one came to blows (8) SCUFFLED {SCUFF}{LED}

17 Hungry? Entire force to take us up (8) ESURIENT {E{US<=}RIENT*}

19 Extremely trustful in case of a precautionary move (6) CASTLE {CAS{Tr...uL}E}

20 Search for a polecat (6) FERRET [DD]

22 "Fire from top to bottom", one shouts (5) HOOTS (-s)HOOT(+s)S

Reference List

Child = CH, Gold = OR, John = LOO, China = MING, Only = O