No 14168, Tuesday 07 May 2024, Arden

Solution to 2D 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   Foreign post - vacancies are temporary arrangements (8) STOPGAPS {POST*}{GAPS}

5  Roman banker invested money in deal, perhaps (6) TIMBER {TI{M}BER}

10 Personal security officer gets gun cover, relatively speaking (7) STEPSON {STE{PSO}N}

11 Settles for flat drink (5,2) EVENS UP {EVEN}{SUP}

12 Mean to train not even the indigenous people (5) MAORI {MeAn+tO+tRaIn} Not exactly 'not even'

13 Restore control over pen (9) REINSTALL {REIN}{STALL}

14 Between man and manor oddly their meeting place (12) CHAPTERHOUSE {CHAP}{HOUSE} over {ThEiR}

18 America's tidy - may be on the eleventh day of the eleventh month (9,3) ARMISTICE DAY*

21 Dialect in China, borders not seen at random (9) CANTONESE {ChinA}{NOT+SEEN}*

23 Filthy place connected with the French fashion (5) STYLE {STY}{LE}

24 Turns away from other contributors, it's automatic (7) ROBOTIC {COntrIBuTORs}*

25 Transfer both sides long before air passage (7) TRACHEA {Tr...eR}{ACHE}{A} A for Air? See comments

26 Jolt from the centre, more or less (6) TREMOR [T]

27 Song able to make you squirm, as they say (8) CANTICLE {CAN}{(~tickle)TICLE}

DOWN

1   Plant variety - same in outer space (6) SESAME {SAME}* in {SpacE}

2   Go on working, about to get into a state (6) O?E?O? {Addendum OREGON {GO+ON}* over {RE} - See comments)

3   Manipulates psychologically - bit in air, perhaps (9) GASLIGHTS {GA{SLIGHT}S}

4   Extremely quiet, principles done away (7,7) PINDROP SILENCE*

6   Inside a single thought or thoughts (5) IDEAS [T]

7   Make a strenuous effort, "but houses only for men" you said (4,1,3) BUST A GUT {BU{STAG}{(~you)U}T}

8   Drove back as heartbeat was in danger zone (8) REPULSED {RE{PULSE}D}

9   Old age complaint in detail - men see it differently (6,8) SENILE DEMENTIA*

15 Tops with something sweet, it's an advantage initially (4,5) HEAD START {HEADS}{TART}

16 Brexit, both sides accept capital involving America, it's a gamble (8) BACCARAT {Bre{ACC{A}RA}xiT}

17 Accommodating everyone now - all leaders walk around (8) AMENABLE {AM{Ev...e}{Now}{All}BLE}

19 "Arden's impenetrable", they say - it's all fictitious (6) MYTHIC {MY}{THIC(~thick)}

20 Danger of one supporting the army (6) MENACE {ACE}<=>{MEN}

22 Open-air party is better (5) OUTDO {OUT}{DO}

Reference List

Money = M, Drink = SUP, The in French = LE, Before = Ante = A, America = A, About = RE