No 14401, Thursday 06 Feb 2025, 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Partly it is a new concoction (6) TISANE*

4   Cocktail waiters get inadequate tip, so to speak (2,2,4) AS IT WERE {WAITERS}* over {i...tE}

9   Finally found it in USA - random checks? (6) AUDITS {f..nD+IT+USA}*

10 Money stolen might bring down a game (8) BUCKSHOT {BUCKS}{HOT}

12 Empty threat - I look around and do nothing (3,5) SIT TIGHT {SI{Th..aT}{I}GHT}

13 Abandoned childcare, had to go round (6) CIRCLE {CIRCLE+HAD}*={CHILDCARE} [CA]

15 A song in celebration of marriage composed by Tom and Phil Aaron (12) PROTHALAMION*

18 Evidences show place is in terrible state (12) ATTESTATIONS {ATTE{STATION}S*}

21 Keen to protect girl in a corner (6) CRANNY {CR{ANN}Y}

22 A rare medical condition - relapses partially because of sugar (8) DEMERARA [T<=]

24 Media director imbibing alcohol - outsiders make a song (8) MADRIGAL {MediA}{Di...oR}{Im...nG}{Al...oL}

25 Pretentious in greeting (6) CHICHI {CHIC}{HI}

26 A theatre person takes time to get a fish (8) STURGEON {S{T}URGEON}

27 Enemy desperate to get hold of an unknown protein (6) ENZYME {EN{Z}YME*}

DOWN

1   Patterns running across the nave, say (8) TRANSEPT*

2   Second book on insurrection... (8) SEDITION {S}{EDITION}

3   ...even so, not accompanied by status (15) NOTWITHSTANDING {NOT}{WITH}{STANDING}

5   Stagger in as guest, uninvited (4) STUN [T]

6   Last challenge, act on it - think he somehow can accept defeat stoically? (4,2,2,3,4) TAKE IT ON THE CHIN {c...gE+ACT+ON+IT+THINK+HE}*

7   Deplorable hesitancy without any moral principles (6) ETHICS HESITanCy*

8   The final encounters go up in value (6) ESTEEM {thE}{MEETS<=}

11 Tea cups besides a football team (7) CHELSEA {CH{ELSE}A}

14 Fallen in love with small babies' wear (7) SMITTEN {S}{MITTEN}

16 Upset harmony over Catholic kingdom (8) MONARCHY {MONAR{C}HY*}

17 At home in a country (8) ?S?A?I?E ()

19 Rascals quietly involved in swindles (6) SCAMPS {SCAM{P}S}

20 Third of silver and gold in the carriage (6) LANDAU {siLver}{AND}{AU}

23 Palm tree tops - some are grown outside (4) SAGO Acrosctic

Reference List

In = CHIC,  Time = T, Unknown = Z, Second = S, Small = S, Catholic = C, Quietly = P