No 14119, Monday 11 Mar 2024, Incognito

Solution to 9A 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   Half-back and a couple of students get spherical object (4) BALL {BAck}{LL}

9   Remove part of intestine and unsettle? (10) D?C?L?N?S? (Addendum - DECOLONISE [DD] - See comments)

10 Activity for summer? Dad prepared gin cocktail! (6) ADDING {DAD+GIN}*

11 Heavy rainfall! Our pond managed to cover part of wall! (8) DOWNPOUR {OUR+POND}* over {Wall}

12 Canine's organ of sight also throbbed to some extent (3,5) EYE TOOTH {EYE}{TOO}{THr...d}

14 Republican assistance given back (6) REPAID {REP}{AID}

16 Queen follows American addict, perhaps (4) USER {ER}<=>{US}

17 South African boy's food (5) SALAD {SA}{LAD}

18 Erotica removed from notice-board arrangement for getting contract (4) BOND {NOtice+BoarD}*

19 Standard English logo (6) ENSIGN {EN}{SIGN}

21 Excitedly Ron slits holes in the head (8) NOSTRILS*

23 Hates spies going around in German state initially (8) DESPISES {SPIES}* in {DE}{St..e}

26 Criminal and vagrants' collection of mug shots? (6) ALBUMS {AL}{BUMS}

27 Rich source of oil held wrongly around Eastern Europe (4-6) WELL-HEELED {WELL}{H{E}{E}LED*}

28 John's containers (4) CANS {CAN}{`S}

DOWN

1   Yes, nailed badly around ring saw (4,4,2) LAID EYES ON {YES+NAILED}* over {O}

2   Is lector walking around covered walk? (8) CLOISTER*

3   After can is thrown from Canada, soldier gets initial order/request to play slowly (6) ADAGIO {canADA}{GI}{Or..r}

4   Current editor performed very well (4) ACED {AC}{ED}

5   Girl scowled and scowled (8) GLOWERED {G}{LOWERED}

6   Quickly buy pans (4,2) SNAP UP {PANS}* [RA]

7   Jacob's twin is in Mesa University (4) ESAU [T]

13 Dancer from Indian movies twists heel before commencement of night (5) HELEN {HEEL*}{Ni..t}

15 Failing men agitated creator of spy going across at 18 (3,7) IAN FLEMING*

17 Malevolent sibling abducted Indian at one (8) SINISTER {S{IN}ISTER} 'at one' is superfluous

18 Graduate engineers take taxi back with knight not using saddle (8) BAREBACK {BA}{RE}{CAB<=}{K}

20 Skewer, without using energy, a graceful antelope (6) IMPALA {IMPALe}{A}

22 Disreputable! Carrying new cocktail! (6) SHANDY {SHA{N}DY}

24 Young lady starting to nurse... Not odd! (4) EVEN {EVE}{Nu..e}

25 Taste-maker's treaty? (4) SALT [DD]

Reference List

Student = L, Queen = ER, English = EN, German = DE, Criminal = AL(Capone), Eastern = E, Europe = E, John = CAN, Current = AC, Girl = G, Indian = I, Engineers = RE(Royal Engineers), Knight = NNew = N