No 14086, Thursday 01 Feb 2024, Arden

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.

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

ACROSS

9   One-third of Australia, not hard in there, but plain and simple (7) AUSTERE {AUSt...a}{ThERE}

10 Complete work before day's end - there is aversion (7) ALLERGY {ALL}{ERG}{daY}

11 Old money small child, play outside (7) DRACHMA {DRA{CH}MA}

12 Cry to get fat (7) BLUBBER [DD]

13 Really easy to carry, I'm happy (9) DELIGHTED {LIGHT}{(in)DEED}

15 Huge number involved in ordinary game (5) BINGO {BI{N}G}{O}

16 French noble with six trillion income (7) VICOMTE {VI}{COM{T}E} T for Trillion? See comments

19 Opposing America right and left in discharge remaining (7) SURPLUS {US<=}{R}{P{L}US}

20 Small fireplace providing warmth (5) HEART HEARTh

21 Oft-repeated jokes about Tesla head taking part in a game (9) CHESTNUTS {CHES{T}{NUT}S

25 Small state faces a communist resurgence and depression (7) CALDERA {CAL} and {A}{RED}<=

26 State of one in our country (7) INDIANA {INDI{AN}A}

28 Omitting without writing a portion (7) EXCERPT {EXCE{R}PT}

29 Behind schedule on payment (7) OVERDUE {DUE}<=>{OVER} &lit

DOWN

1   The American did not arrest Frank (6) CANDID [T]

2   Condemn a small public sector undertaking (6) ASSAIL {A}{S}{SAIL}

3   Coordinate with me quietly (4) MESH {ME}{SH}

4   Inhabitant - the wine drinking one (6) TENANT {TEN{AN}T}

5   Insults a party in an island nation (8) BARBADOS {BARB{A}{DO}S}

6   Could it be a sudden deluge? (10) CLOUDBURST {COULD}* [RA]

7   Something to eat during hearing in court (8) TRIBUNAL {TRI{BUN}AL}

8   A small picture - moving story about people on a small island (8) CYPRIOTS {PIC+STORY}*

14 Mathematicians' idea of play, they have a choice (4,6) GAME THEORY {GAME}{THE{OR}Y}

16 He lives miserably caught in between buses and trucks (8) VEHICLES {HE+LIVES}* over {C}

17 Wild mustard found daily on top of hair (8) CHARLOCK {CHAR}{LOCK}

18 Terrible stench as one blocks entrances (8) ENCHANTS {ENCH{AN}TS*}

22 He invented the first device to stop random noise (6) EDISON {E{De...e}ISON*}

23 Drug and alcohol stashed in this place (6) UGANDA [T]

24 Caught when part of it was new, went up when part of it was old (6) S?A?E? (Addendum - SNARED S(-o+n)NARED - See comments)

27 Contract work (4) DEED [DD]

Reference List

Hard = H, Child = CH, Number = N, Ordinary = O, Tesla = T, Writing = R, Small = S, Quietly = SH, Party = DO, Caught = C, New = N, Old = O