The Sunday Crossword No 3289, Sunday 14 Jan 2024

HAPPY PONGAL

ACROSS

1   Curtail relaxation that includes brief prank (8) RESTRICT {RES{TRICk}T}

5   Wholesaler offloading dodgy sole; I'm seeking something more substantial (6) WHALER WHolesALER

10 Cold blast, heading off for hot buttered food? (7) CRUMPET {C}{tRUMPET}

11 24/7 drama, two Poles given crown (3-4) NON-STOP {NO}{NS}{TOP}

12 Weariness concerning, you and I said (5) ENNUI (~ 'n u i)

13 No, outlive inferior – as part of this? (9) EVOLUTION* Semi&lit

14 In recompense, arranged for attendance everywhere (12) OMNIPRESENCE*

18 Latest: nephew that is detained by nuns for causing trouble (12) INCONVENIENT {IN CONVE{Ne...w}{IE}NT}

21 Implausibly cheers up touring large tomb (9) SEPULCHRE {CHEERS+UP}* over {L}

23 Lost in fantasies regularly, abstracted at first (2,3) AT SEA {fAnTaSiEs}{Ab...d}

24 To some extent, fear a cheesy auricular annoyance (7) EARACHE [T]

25 Volunteering work repeatedly trendy: good (7) OPINING {OP}{IN}{IN}{G}

26 Starters of niçoises: endives cored, stale, curl up (6) NESTLE {Ni...s}{En...s}{STaLE}

27 Hide, hold back, becoming more emaciated (8) SKINNIER {SKIN}{REIN<=}

DOWN

1   Leaves, getting reprimand (6) ROCKET [DD]

2   Turns down incentives including bit of nepotism (6) SPURNS {SPUR{Ne...m}S}

3   Resort with Everyman, from the outset, nagging people to fix things (9) REPAIRMEN {REPAIR}{ME}{Na...g}

4   'We're N.I.C.E. Health questionable? Exercise!' (9-5) CATHERINE WHEEL*

6   Believer in growth industries, partly (5) HINDU [T]

7   Lazy type rising, transfixed by a TV showing foreign nationals (8) LATVIANS {SNAIL<=} over {A}{TV}

8   Regretted sports lesson having torn around centre field in the end (8) REPENTED {RE{PE}NT}{c...rE}{f..lD}

9   One that'll go off, but won't hit the roof? (6,8) INDOOR FIREWORK [CD]

15 Impression is a success (9) SENSATION [DD]

16 Physicist in 90s, sprightly (8) EINSTEIN*

17 Staves conferred extremely piously to represent elevated status, primarily? (8) SCEPTRES Acrostic &lit

19 Anglo-Saxon meeting with keen Spanish affirmation in old Italian town (6) ASSISI {AS}{SI}{SI}

20 Car, old sausage (6) BANGER [DD]

22 This describes something healthier in the pub (2-3) LO-CAL {LOCAL}

Reference List

Cold = C, Drama = NO, Poles = N,S, Large = L, Trendy = IN, Good = G, Sports = PE, Spanish affirmation = SI