No 14378, Thursday 09 Jan 2025, Arden

Solution to 6D 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Fantastic in space (3,2,4,5) OUT OF THIS WORLD [C&DD]

10 Top accommodation in a country revisited (5) AERIE {A}{EIRE<=}

11 9 stores cater cut fruit (9) NECTARINE {N{CATER*}INE}

12 Close to biting lip - A way to show displeasure (7) GRIMACE {b...nG}{RIM}{ACE}

13 Santa cross caught me making sour cream (7) SMETANA {S{ME}TANA*}

14 Controls - they're there inside (5) REINS [T]

16 Must maintain silence - finally becomes lifeless (9) INANIMATE {MAINTAIN*}{s...cE}

19 New tone, in case one is from Guangdong (9) CANTONESE {CA{N}{TONE}SE}

20 Close to painting in red paint (5) GLOSS {p...nG}{LOSS}

22 Ventilates after a time delay (7) AERATES {A}{ERA}TES Anno not clear

25 State a subject in the beginning (7) INDIANA {A}<=>{INDIAN}

27 Work behind time with a singularly crazy boss... (3,6) TOP BANANA {OP}<=>{T} {BANANAs}

28 ...due to having no name (5) OWING OWnING

29 Studies involving standard allocation for wars and conflicts (14) CONFLAGRATIONS {CON{FLAG}{RATION}S}

DOWN

2   Subject of Britain and weather, one on one (9) UKRAINIAN {UK}{RAIN}{1}{AN}

3   Play ball - it's essentially entertainment (5) OPERA {O}{PER}{e...tAi...t}

4   Fruit - Argentine bananas? (9) TANGERINE*

5   Remove top of the metal, push in the centre of the bone (5) INCUS {zINC}{pUSh}

6   Being evasive about leaving part outside frame (9) W?A?E?I?G ()

7   Something to eat in Madurai, Tamilnadu (5) RAITA [T]

8   Time to settle what the man reportedly consumed (3,4) DUE DATE {(~dude)DUED}{ATE)

9   Break bread with the first guest who comes in Harry (6) BADGER {BAD{Gu..t}ER*}

15 Brief season is what is needed still (9) SHORTFALL {SHORT}{FALL}

17 'In camera' arrangement - a Yankee objects (9) AMERICAN {IN+CAMERA}*{A}

18 "An homage to a Democrat" - speech follows (9) ADORATION {A}{D}{ORATION}

19 Disorderly in accommodating all our tall leaders (7) CHAOTIC {CH{All}{Our}{Tall}IC}

21 Spray box over empty garage (6) SPARGE {SPAR}{Ga..gE}

23 After a brief sentence, jail to make one mellow (5) RIPEN {RI}{PEN}

24 Informed about left cant (5) SLANG {S{L}ANG}

26 Firstly, does he often tie it around his waist? (5) DHOTI Acrostic Semi&lit

Reference List

New = N, Time = T, Name = N, Democrat = D, In = CHIC, Left = L