No 14245, Monday 05 Aug 2024, Arden

Solution to 17D 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

6   Can take leave, vacation complete (5) CLEAN {C{LeavE}AN}

7   Flowers make Caroline happy (8) LONICERA*

10 Bond with some music and wine (7) RAPPORT {RAP}{PORT}

11 Get up on time - that's rubbish (7) GARBAGE {GARB}{AGE}

12 Central Canada loves to get running train (7) ONTARIO {O{TRAIN*}O}

13 Clue in Times for Great Britain (7) BLIGHTY {B{LIGHT}Y}

14 Fall in centre's output, sad (11) CRESTFALLEN {CREST{FALL}EN*}

19 Dacoit gang seizes the equipment (7) BRIGAND {B{RIG}AND}

21 They were ambitious and died, so many returned (7) DYNAMOS {D}{SO MANY<=}

23 Records work on board, that is never ending (7) DOSSIER {DO}{SS}{IE}{n..eR}

25 Cover girl, warm hearted (7) SHEATHE {S{HEAT}HE}

26 Mary Cole turned into a killer of men (8) CLAYMORE*

27 Country gets first governor for this African city (5) LAGOS {LA{Go...r}OS}

DOWN

1   Storing Sulphur in the warehouse - extremely idiotic and autocratic (8) DESPOTIC {DE{S}POT}{Id...iC}

2   Married women in India wear it, top removed in private (6) INDOOR sINDOOR

3   Caught in a difficult situation - even paid the bill (10) FLATFOOTED {FLAT}{FOOTED}

4   Comfortable lifting arms (4) SNUG<=

5   Quietly come and give a sermon (6) PREACH {P}{REACH}

6   Lady Jeanne, shy, holding undergarment up (6) CARBOY {C{BRA<=}OY}

8   Friendly drink? (7) CORDIAL [DD]

9   Opener gets third century, supported by a cricketing nation (5) KENYA {KE{ceNtury}Y}{A}

13 "Flourishes"- name under which she is working (10) BRANDISHES {BRAND}{SHE+IS}*

15 Enriched banks, a city displaying greed (7) EDACITY {En...eD}{A}{CITY}

16 They identify the man who came up on stage, staggering (4,4) NAME TAGS {MAN<=}{STAGE*}

17 Accept book in attache case (5) ?B?D? (Addendum - ABIDE {Att{BID}achE} - See comments)

18 American Navy gets her, she shows people their place (6) USHERS {US{HER}S}

20 Slight margins, ultimately accepted (6) INSULT [T]

22 Enlightened organization, thing missing is the pointer (6) NEEDLE ENLightEnED*

24 Three of them went from top to bottom creating trouble (4) RIOT (-t)RIO(+t)Y

Reference List

Times = BY, Died = D, Quietly = P, American Navy = USS