No 14091, Wednesday 07 Feb 2024, Incognito

Solution to 10A 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

8   Spiritual leader from Central America (4) LAMA [GK] See comments

9   Stress, "Below 20!" (10) UNDERSCORE {UNDER}{SCORE}

10 6 feet of water. Understand? (6) ?A?H?M (Addendum - FATHOM [DD] - See comments)

11 Damaged ball placed amongst playthings in dressers (8) TALLBOYS {T{BALL*}OYS}

12 Father Brown consumes half of kissel in South Asian country (8) PAKISTAN {PA}{KISsel}{TAN}

14 Things shaking? Dark times! (6) NIGHTS*

16 A chartered accountant accompanying setter gets a fruit (4) ACAI {A}{CA}{I}

17 Order stout with Washington (5) FATWA {FAT}{WA}

18 Send explicit message: "Gel around 10 or 12 in daytime" (4) SEXT {SE{X}T} [DD]

19 Check. Tutor is walking around railway terminus (3,3) TRY OUT {TR{r...aY}OUT*}

21 Poster showing Chinese army vehicle with leaders of defeated soldiers (8) PLACARDS {PLA}{CAR}{De...d}{So...s} See comments

23 Mad United Nations editor consumed asafoetida (8) UNHINGED {UN}{HING}{ED}

26 European college head's den makes pastry (6) ECLAIR {Eu...n}{Co...e}{LAIR}

27 Live adders coiled around swashbucklers (10) DAREDEVILS*

28 Baker's equipment from Coventry (4) OVEN [T]

DOWN

1   Insane military officer from Turkey gets Mark in African country (10) MADAGASCAR {MAD}{AGA}{SCAR}

2   Doctor Hakim, sir? He probably lives in Srinagar (8) KASHMIRI*

3   For example, diamonds covering a small length top (6) SUMMIT {SU{MM}IT}

4   Meditates after mates leave? Correct! (4) EDIT mEDITates

5   Building kraals in Ceylon (3,5) SRI LANKA*

6   After removing tip of rapier from broken rib cage, get equipment for cold compression (3,3) ICE BAG {rIB+CAGE}*

7   Partially destroyed city (4) TROY*

13 Hundred retiring skywards and still sleeping (3,2) NOT UP {TON<=}{UP}

15 Cabbie arrived wrongly around 11... behind time... (10) TAXIDRIVER {A{XI}DRIVER*}<=>{T}

17 Obese soldier returned by end of June wearing American battle dress (8) FATIGUES {FAT}{GI<=}{U{junE}S}

18 Male horse "Number One" returned at back of part of stable (8) STALLION {NO1<=}<=>{STALL}

20 Spanish cries about four fruits (6) OLIVES {OL{IV}ES}

22 Disinclined academician gets a bit of poetry (6) AVERSE {A}{VERSE}

24 Next to body removed from bone-yard (4) NEAR {boNE+yARd}

25 Intravenous feed for boring person (4) DRIP [DD]

Reference List

Editor = ED, Military officer from Turkey = AGA, Hundred = TON, Time = T, Spanish cries = OLES