No 14116, Thursday 07 Mar 2024, Arden

Solution to 14A 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   Be utterly ruined as the store catches fire (2,4,2,6) GO DOWN IN FLAMES {GODOWN IN FLAMES}

10 Not on a length, refuse (5) OFFAL {OFF}{A}{L}

11 From ashes rose to become such fish (3,6) SEA HORSES*

12 Island chicken (7) MINORCA [DD]

13 A hindrance in the pacemaker, perhaps (7) ATHLETE {A}{TH{LET}E}

14 Criminals to some extent get jail term... (5) T?I?D (Addendum - TRIAD {T{RI}AD} - See comments)

16 ...perhaps same is let out, that's extremely contemptible (9) MEASLIEST*

19 Fighters and dogs around one table (9) PUGILISTS {PUG{1}{LIST}S}

20 Fiscal prudence saving the skin (5) SCALP [T]

22 Keen to keep the fool in drink (7) WASSAIL {W{ASS}AIL}

25 Happiness by reviewing the number one story (7) ELATION {NO 1}{TALE}<=

27 Genuine design, school dropout perhaps changed his opinion (9) REALIGNED {REAL}{DEsIGN*}

28 Cross Indian rail (5) IRATE {I}{RATE}

29 Amid all the noise go back, the German, perhaps is being mean and selfish (3,2,3,6) DOG IN THE MANGER {D{GO<=}IN}{THE}{GERMAN*}

DOWN

2   Hurting someone is not on, termination comes later (9) OFFENDING {OFF}{ENDING}

3   He sees it's otherwise covering liquid gel (5) OGLER {O{GEL*}R}

4   Dancing eyes or nasty gums, perhaps (9) NYSTAGMUS*

5   One animal among so many, a large herd (5) NYALA [T]

6   Excuses John hears from some Europeans (9) LOOPHOLES (~loo poles)

7   Service point for a tricky billiards shot (5) MASSE {MASS}{E}

8   Group's hidden marketing strategy is a bit iffy (7) SUSPECT {S{USP}ECT}

9   Forget matter, half of them lost in design (6) FORMAT {FORget}{MATter}

15 A coaster inside Chinese port, it is spotted, perhaps (9) DALMATIAN {DAL{MAT}IAN}

17 Master goes around the barricade in port (9) AMSTERDAM {MASTER*}{DAM}

18 Time and date to allow nice interiors, remove totally (9) ERADICATE {ERA}{D{nICe}ATE}

19 Engineer we roped in provided energy (7) POWERED*

21 Think of a watering hole for beer, be gone! (6) PONDER {POND}{beER}

23 Can't say leaders are no good when they all start (5) SLANG Acrostic

24 Start ignoring American food (5) LUNCH LaUNCH

26 A title is strange (5) ALIEN {A}{LIEN}

Reference List

Length = L, School = S, Indian = I, John = LOO, Point = E, Marketing strategy = USP, American = A