No 14115, Wednesday 06 Mar 2024, Arden

Solution to 15A 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   Controversy on European rodent, it's detailed (7) POLEMIC {POLE}{MICe}

5   Order rib chop and highland music (7) PIBROCH*

9   Questions young ones getting married (5) PUMPS {PU{M}PS}

10 Eats spread before horse as festive offering (6,3) EASTER EGG {EATS*}{ERE}{GG}

11 Corrosive stuff, for example in tanks (4,5) AQUA REGIA {AQUAR{EG}IA}

12 "Live on rent" - backs up and leaves (5) BETEL {BE}{LET<=}

13 Crucial time lost, the medicine may be inside this (4) VIAL VItAL

15 Still it's missing in the dark night (8) M?O?L?S? {Addendum MOONLESS MOtiONLESS - See comments)

18 Attack the study on animal (8) DENOUNCE {DEN}{OUNCE}

19 Still not seen, still I follow (4) YETI {YET}{I}

22 Ban it, reportedly some of it can explode (5) NITRE [T]

24 Madras refused to entertain regular singer for the carnival (5,4) MARDI GRAS {MADRAS}* over {sInGeR}

26 Cut, ball in turn does spin (9) TOURNEDOS {T{O}URN}{DOES*}

27 It doesn't make sense to restrict travel (5) DRIVE DRIVEl

28 Study - even Israel follows another country (7) PERUSAL {iSrAeL}<=>{PERU}

29 Most simple in a different garment (7) NAIVEST {IN+A}*{VEST}

DOWN

1   Well known, but not universal tree (6) POPLAR POPuLAR

2   Some smaller version in lieu of fancy car (9) LIMOUSINE {SOMe+IN+LIEU}*

3   Suffering, not something unknown for a skinflint (5) MISER MISERy

4   Extremely careful with the work done, many cross at the minister (9) CLERGYMAN {Ca...uL}{ERG}{MANY*}

5   Part of lunch, may be after one? (5) PASTA {PAST}{A}

6   Live with doubt - need guts to become a big corporation (4,5) BEER BELLY {BE}{ER}{BELLY}

7   Open at the centre, volume goes up somewhat (5) OVERT [T<=]

8   Old woman's happiness cut short in the bargain (6) HAGGLE {HAG}{GLEe}

14 Free tips on how to tie them up and finish the job (5,4) LOOSE ENDS {LOOSE}{ENDS}

16 Gum used o'er insole? (9) OLEORESIN*

17 Function perhaps without a wind down (9) SATURNINE {S{A}{TURN}INE}

20 Synchronised with a part inside pumps, say... (6) INSTEP [DD]

21 ...like money growth? (6) ASCENT {AS}{CENT}

23 Terrible torture to be left out, when one is more faithful (5) TRUER toRTURE*

24 Honour to get a date for say, dinner outside (5) MEDAL {ME{D}AL}

25 Starts investigating nine different reserves involving these primates (5) INDRI Acrostic 

Reference List

Married = M, Horse = GG, Time = T, Universal = U, Unknown = Y, Function = SINE, Date = D