No 14105, Friday 23 Feb 2024, Hypatia

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ACROSS

7   Sourness essentially from lime and gold fish in hodge-podge (11) GALLIMAUFRY {GALL}{lIMe}{AU}{FRY}

8   Steal cycles in a round (3) ORB (-r)O(+r)RB

10 Playboy's comb (4) RAKE [DD]

11 Minister retracting ban on Bangladeshi imports initially (5) RABBI {BAR<=}{Ba...i}{Im...s}

12 Chiefly romantic offering, serenading sweetheart! (4) ROSE {Ro...c}{Of...g}{Se...g}{swEet} Semi&lit

13 Passage extracted from novels I actually recalled (5) AISLE [T<=]

15 American soldiers taking part in Salute to union (9) AGREEMENT {A}{GREE{MEN}T}

16 Say Dennis is changing name at Church (6) MENACE {NAME*}{CE}

18 Women wait outside for turn (6) SWERVE {S{W}ERVE}

21 Angry players seen fighting were rational (4,5) MADE SENSE {MAD}{ES}{SEEN*}

23 Kid eats bananas and the last piece of cake (5) TEASE {EATS*}{cakE}

25 Bond's usually OK, especially undercover (4) YOKE [T]

26 Old and dreary smell (5) ODOUR {O}{DOUR}

27 Sad fool retired without money (4) GLUM {MU{L}G}<=

28 Pick up, scatter and stitch (3) SEW (~sow)

29 Thorough inspection of English bridge after cruise in ship (5,6) STRIP SEARCH {E}{ARCH}<=>{S{TRIP}S}

DOWN

1   Hanger-on in wild American parties (8) PARASITE {A+PARTIES}

2   Plant's only losing money essentially (4) ALOE ALOnE

3   Shrewd asset manager, let us select regularly (5) SMART {asSet+ManAgeR+leT}

4   As per Spooner, tramp embraces cheats (7) HUMBUGS (~ bum hugs to humbugs)

5   Running shoes for coaches (8) TRAINERS [DD]

6   Prayer's regularly put up in worship room (6) ORISON {iN+wOrShIp+RoOm}<=

9   First show of love in Bollywood that is concerning (8) PREMIERE {PREM}{IE}{RE}

14 Made light of abrupt delay even in chaos (8) LEAVENED {DELAy+EVEN}*

17 They bravely cross Europe to Oman's capital in a chopper, perhaps (3,5) EYE TOOTH {THEY}* over {E}{TO}{Oman}

19 Explorer held up by hiccup severely (8) VESPUCCI [T<=]

20 Country blending into sea (7) ESTONIA*

22 Starting from Oliver Twist, reads books and relishes (6) ADORES {Ol...r} in {READS}

24 Active teacher's up to visit Bangkok on vacation (5) BRISK {SIR<=} in {Ba...oK}

27 Attack nanny (4) GOAT {GO+AT}

Reference List

American = A, Soldiers = MEN, Church = CE, Women = W, Players = E,S Old = O, Money = L, English = E, Ship = SS, Love in Bollywood = PREM, Concerning = RE, Europe = E