No 14350, Saturday 7 Dec 2024, Arden

 ACROSS

1 Quite different - otherwise Samoa American base is silent (5,2,1,5) QUIET AS A MOUSE {QUIET}*{ SAMOA}*{US}{E}
10 Peers// at //the ground (5) LORDS {DD}
11 Violent mob, active and aggressive (9) COMBATIVE*
12 Now beginning to cut cost, not opposed to a place of learning (9) PRINCETON {PRI{Now}CE}{NOT<}
13 Greece in the past like 11 (5) AGGRO {AG{GR}O}
14 Time consuming - velocity and time, nothing special (7) AVERAGE {A{V}{ERA}GE}
16 Maritime hazard reported, I see sea bird heading west (7) ICEBERG {I C (~I SEE)}{GREBE<}
18 Most of the fruit is for the monkey (7) TAMARIN {TAMARINd}

20 Tempts with three quarters covered part-rejected (7) ENTRAPS {EN{PART<}S}
22 Shameless in superhuman output, there is a marked rise (3-2) RUN-UP {sUPeRhUmaN}*
24 A noble used to keep fancy car in the city (9) BARCELONA {CAR}* in {A NOBLE}*
26 Like a piece of pizza - order only with some money (9) SECTORIAL {SECT}{O}RIAL}
27 Gradual illumination on both sides, time to shine (5) GLINT {Gr....aL}{Il.........oN}{T}
28 Aggressively violent - Romeo, be gentle with Lily (13) BELLIGERENTLY {R BE GENTLE LILY}*

DOWN

2 British weather, say close to the country at war (7) UKRAINE {UK}{RAIN}{thE}
3 In every survey both sides express their views on this furniture (4,5) EASY CHAIR {EA{SurveY}CH}{AIR}
4 Lucky charm - Mike goes for a tie (5) ASCOT {mASCOT}
5 A land mine blast - you get stone (9) ALMANDINE*

6 "Lost in the middle" - Another name for a Japanese city (5) OSAKA {lOSt}{AKA}

7 Complaint from husband caught in unmarried circle (7) SHINGLE {S{H}INGLE} Chambers gives it as Shingles: the disease Herpes Zoster
8 Such tall growth will halt passenger movement (8,5) ELEPHANT GRASS*

9 Blockbuster drugs? (13) DECONGESTANTS {CD} Nice one!
15 Honouring none - ordered fancy jewellery (9) ENNOBLING {NONE}*{BLING}
17 Essentially sent twice to protect - he got used to psychedelic drug (9) ENTHEOGEN {EN{HE GOT*}EN}
19 Restrain him, one has left (7) MANACLE {MAN}{AC{L}E}
21 One not interested in a gathering (7) ASOCIAL {A}{SOCIAL} Semi &Lit
23 Place to have fight - look for a prey (5) PROWL {P{ROW}L}
25 Bang goes from gun barrel - shot the king (5) RULER {gUn baRREL}*

Reference List

American=US, Base=E, Greece=GR, Time=T; Age; Era, Quarters= E;N;S;W, Only=O, British=UK, Mike=M, Husband=H, One=Ace, Left=L, Place=PL.