No 14382, Tuesday 14 Jan 2025, Incognito

HAPPY PONGAL

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

Solution to 11A 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

8   Vehicle one shouldn't walk into (4) TRAP [DD}

9   Excitedly sits eating eggs (10) INSTIGATES*

10 Thoroughly defeated communist outside Oxford University by end of bout (6) ROUTED {R{O}{U}{bouT}ED}

11 Spanish person's resort with drain reflux (8) S?A?I?R? (Addendum - SPANIARD {SPA}{DRAIN<=} - See comments)

12 Difficult struggle to capture one Indian town (8) HARIDWAR {HAR{1}D}{WAR}

14 Animals having style dance stupendously in the beginning (6) ELANDS {ELAN}{Da..e}{St...y}

16 Bacterial infection from European behind animal enclosure (4) STYE {E}<=>{STY}

17 Hunter, perhaps, turning in bed (5) BIDEN*

18 Feel absence of young lady (4) MISS [DD]

19 Reportedly cheat some to obtain mineral (6) GYPSUM (~gyp some)

21 Customers excitedly rose, red about initial remark (8) ORDERERS {ROSE+RED}* over {Re...k}

23 Large eagles fly around Zulu's animals (8) GAZELLES {L+EAGLES}* over {Z}

26 Author Waugh terribly hyperventilates in absence of therapist (6) EVELYN hYperVENtiLatEs*

27 Voyeur's pet pigeon flies over maiden (7,3) PEEPING TOM {PET+PIGEON}*{M}

28 Masseur orders carrying money (4) EURO [T]

DOWN

1   Tory girl ran wildly and with conceit (10) ARROGANTLY {ARROGANTLY+I}* = {TORY+RAN+GiRL}* [CA] An extra R and and A less, error in fodder. GAL for GIRL would solve the issue 

2   Build pits in front of tree with European fighter (8) SPITFIRE {PITS*}{FIR}{E}

3   Bereaved lady covers new hole in the wall! (6) WINDOW {WI{N}DOW}

4   Enquires, "Donkey carrying king?" (4) ASKS {AS{K}S}

5   Maine lab synthesizes legume (4,4) LIMA BEAN*

6   Setter's embraced by stout mouther in Portuguese pilgrimage town (6) FATIMA {FAT}{I}{MA} Mouther seems to be a typo for Mother

7   "Hark, that lady has the answer" (4) HEAR {HE{A}R}

13 Communication device in Agra diocese (5) RADIO [T]

15 Red oysters spread over warships (10) DESTROYERS*

17 Making blunders and breaking Ming bulb (8) BUMBLING*

18 Killed a group of crows in front of journalist (8) MURDERED {MURDER}{ED}

20 Brushes dust from top of shelf and cries (6) SWEEPS {Sh..f}{WEEPS}

22 Doctor, same mixture results in visions during sleep (6) DREAMS {DR}{SAME*}

24 Silver with Edward is old (4) AGED {AG}{ED}

25 Take seat with Earl and plot (4) SITE {SIT}{E}

Reference List

Oxford = O, University = U, European = E, Large = L, Zulu = Z, Maiden = M, New = N, King = K, Answer = A, Journalist = ED, Edward = ED, Earl = E