No 14242, Thursday 01 Aug 2024, Arden

Solution to 12A 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

9   Rest may be found in a reference book briefly on field strength (7) OERSTED {OE{REST*}D}

10 Fun city, loves to host Republican state (7) ORLANDO {O{R}{LAND}O}

11 Beginning with one point rise (7) NASCENT {N}{ASCENT}

12 Abnormal reduction, gets through (7) D?V?A?T (Addendum - DEVIANT {DE{VIA}NT} - See comments)

13 Her warnings were treated as canards (9) CASSANDRA* &lit

15 Board game involving some lethal manoeuvres (5) HALMA [T] 

16 A good time to go in and surprise (7) ASTOUND {A}{S{T}OUND}

19 Candidate gets work, for there is a measure of uncertainty (7) ENTROPY {ENTR{OP}Y}

20 Vivacious girl - one comes in after nine in private banks (5) PIXIE {Priv{IX}{1}atE}

21 Strike a guy and there ends the joke (9) PUNCHLINE {PUNCH}{LINE}

25 Distiller must apply to get in (7) REFINER {REF{IN}ER}

26 Replenish supply, he goes to get a beer (7) PILSNER REPLeNISh*

28 Girl with International protection in parts of Northern Israel (7) GALILEE {GAL}{I}{LEE}

29 Entry in general is for a beneficiary (7) LEGATEE {LE{GATE}E}

DOWN

1   Charlie can go up for a drink (6) COGNAC {C}{CAN GO<=}

2   Takes it easy, that said, takes it by force (6) WRESTS (~rests)

3   Worst years, some of them painful (4) STYE [T] Semi&lit

4   It's indeed rough, polished (6) EDITED {ED{IT}ED*}

5   Valiant to confront thick heavy set character (8) BOLDFACE {BOLD}{FACE}

6   Split? Problem is the temporary tie-up (5,5) CLOVE HITCH {CLOVE}{HITCH}

7   Toiling at sea, retrieves a sunken design (8) INTAGLIO {INT{A}GLIO*}

8   Herb's my co-star, perhaps (8) COSTMARY*

14 A beautiful fish, less than right in a way (5,5) ACUTE ANGLE {A}{CUTE}{ANGLE}

16 Current map drawn and two times overlapped (8) AMPERAGE {MAP*}{ER(A)GE}

17 Turn left and exit - used for storage of information (4,4) TEXT FILE* 

18 Sent away? Left in the middle of work (8) DEPORTED {DE{PORT}ED}

22 Bomb, one picked up by hand (6) NAPALM {AN<=}{PALM}

23 Coal if left out will catch fire (6) IGNITE lIGNITE

24 Won a point and Arden lost (6) EARNED {E}ARDEN*}

27 Blocks head of government entering house of a star (4) LEGO {LE{Go...t}O}

Reference List

Republican = R, Point = N, Time = T, Work = OP, International = I, Charlie = C, Left = L, Point = E