No 14178, Saturday 18 May 2024, Vidwan

ACROSS

8   Durga fidgeted with a divine vehicle (6) GARUDA {DURGA}*{A}

9   You'll meet kindred regularly for Christmas (8) YULETIDE {YoUlL+mEeT+kInDrEd} 

10 Stick used by someone with a handicap? Of course! (4,4) GOLF CLUB [CD]

11 One from Warsaw or Japan, say (6) POLISH [DD]

12 Instrument - playing, lovin' it endlessly! (6) VIOLIN {LOVIN+It}*

13 Excels in non-clandestine operations (8) OVERTOPS {OVERT}{OPS}

14 Filthy male in distressed surrounding (7) SMEARED {S{M}EARED}

16 Rebel princess' honour? Yes! (7) DISOBEY {DIS}{OBE}{Y}

20 Active at a bull's early stage of embryo (8) BLASTULA*

23 Quietly come to lecture (6) PREACH {P}{REACH}

25 Season's special band! (6) SPRING {SP}{RING}

26 Hot atmosphere diminishes main source of income for barbers (8) HAIRCUTS {H}{AIR}{CUTS}

27 How an archer submits? (4,4) BOWS DOWN [C&DD]

28 Son going into 'lazy' position (6) INSERT {IN{S}ERT}

DOWN

1   Works in so calm style with brevity of speech (8) LACONISM*

2   Idiot changed sides for a large bag (6) DUFFEL DUFFE(-r+l)L

3   Standard kind of clean language (8) PARLANCE {PAR}{CLEAN*}

4   Do we bore you at start? You may raise this for disapproval! (7) EYEBROW {WE+BORE+You}*

5   Slip away, asleep, drunk! (6) ELAPSE*

6   Street toilet somehow improves women's stature (8) STILETTO {ST}{TOILET*}

7   A darling daughter stumps, occasionally makes sense! (4,2) ADDS UP {A}{D}{D}{StUmPs}

15 As basic as erroneously missing a Cartesian coordinate of a point (8) ABSCISSA {AS+BASIC+aS}*

17 I am power - legitimate and absolute! (8) IMPLICIT {I'M}{P}{LICIT}

18 Create ET perhaps and rest (2,6) ET CETERA*

19 Half of Manhattan, regularly turns to organised search for fugitives (7) MANHUNT {MANHattan}{tUrNs+To} Not half!

21 Mostly Apple redesigning confines to a computing device (6) LAPTOP {APPLe}* over {TO}

22 Motivate headless doctor in operating room (4,2) URGE ON sURGEON 

24 Free poor substitute (6) EXCUSE [DD]

Reference List

Male = M, Princess = DI, Honour = OBE, Yes = Y, Quietly = P, Special =SP, Hot = H, Son = S, Sides = R,L, Standard = PAR, Street = ST, Darling = D, Daughter = D, Power = P