No 14431, Thursday 13 Mar 2025, Incognito

Solution to 16D 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   Mad bird carries large avian timekeeper? (6,5) CUCKOO CLOCK {CUCKOO}{C{L}COK}

9   Without notice, taxes income incorrectly and tests (5) EXAMS {tAXES+incoMe}*

10 Perhaps, henchmen's sick kids collapse without energy (9) SIDEKICKS {SICK+KIDS}* over {E}

11 No army tank was driven around by Roman general (4,6) MARK ANTONY*

12 Perhaps, type of seaman 13 beheaded (4) ABLE {tABLE}

13 Constables' information chart (5) TABLE [T]

15 Art shack produces frames for keeping headgear (8) HATRACKS*

17 Film-maker wrongly crosses across middle of set (8) SCORSESE {CROSSES}* over {sEt}

19 Amount returned by in-charge for producing harmonious notes (5) MUSIC {SUM<=}{IC}

22 Concedes kitchen has class-room furniture (4) DESK [T]

23 Diva's public relation is initially with famous singer (5,5) PRIMA DONNA {PR{Is}{MADONNA}

26 Some pasta cooked past eight (9) SPAGHETTI*

27 Push the Spanish rascal first (5) IMPEL {EL}{<=>{IMP}

28 A gushing gal may produce Nitrous Oxide (8,3) LAUGHING GAS*

DOWN

1   Chinese atmosphere committee's head (5) CHAIR {CH}{AIR}

2   Throw fishing equipment containing a set of musical instruments (9) CASTANETS {CAST{A}{NETS}

3   Notes I composed at location (2-4)  ON-SITE*

4   Monarch endlessly goes around Asian port passage for soloist (7) CADENZA {C{ADEN}ZAr}

5   Ran leaving torn anoraks for trees (4) OAKS {anOrAKS}

6   Bribes and reverses taxi after boot at back end's searched initially (9) KICKBACKS {CAB<=}<=>{KICK} and {bacK}{Se...d}

7   Husband leaves protective headgear under front of parlour window fitting (6) PELMET (-{hELMET}<=>{Pa...r}

8   Flowers?! Master stroke, to a certain extent! (6) ASTERS [T]

14 Reserves towering place for selling paperbacks perhaps (9) BOOKSTALL {BOOKS}{TALL}

16 Removing problem on setter passing away (9) R?M?D?I?G ()

17 Pervertedly cruel person roughly cast aside, in absence of ace? (6) SADIST {caST+ASIDe}*

18 Elongate period of time (7) STRETCH [DD]

20 Infant may lie here (6) CRADLE [CD]

21 North Omani building gives protection for embryo (6) AMNION {N+OMANI}*

24 Bearing primates' backs of necks (5) NAPES {N}{APES}

25 Half of thousand for you in days of yore (4) THOU THOUsand

Reference List

Large = L, Energy = E, Public relation = PR, The in Spanish = EL, Chinese = CH, Husband = H, Bearing = N