No 14453, Tuesday 08 Apr 2025, Karaoke

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   Agreed to stop doing something and retired (6,2,1,3) CALLED IT A DAY [DD]

9   Reportedly, takes home seabirds (5) ERNES (~earns)

10 Party perhaps too big mainly to get vote in this? (6,3) BALLOT BOX {BALL}{TOO+Big}*{X} Semi&lit

11 Criminal in prison, not silent when handcuffed (2,5) IN IRONS {IN+pRISON}*

12 Fish maybe more graceful when drinking left out water mainly (7) SWIMMER S(-l+w}WIMMER

13 Dispatch rider bags letters essentially for nobleman (8) COURTIER {COUR{letTers}IER}

14 Quiet shooter, they say (5) PEACE (~piece)

18 Apart from cycling clues (5) ASIDE (+as)ASIDE(-as)

20 Rodent-killer is fighting a battle, lost headgear! (8) WARFARIN WARFARINg

24 Theoretical explosion huge initially, God forbid first (3,4) BIG BANG {BIG}{G}<=>{BAN}

26 Load rifle case in box (7) FREIGHT {F{RiflE}IGHT}

27 Three should leave European Union at the outset (9) THRESHOLD {THREe}{SHOuLD}

28 Miser holed up in crevasse (5) SAVER [T<=]

29 It gives odour of rotting flesh? - Sweep floor properly in unoccupied chamber (6,6) CORPSE FLOWER {Cham{SWEEP+FLOOR}*beR}

DOWN

1   Proceeds from criminal money? Spend for the audience (9) CONTINUES {CON}{TIN}{(~use)UES}

2   Stupid person steals money [no cents] to spend extravagantly (4,3) LASH OUT {L{cASH}OUT}

3   Adorns with raised work, messes around with book often (8) EMBOSSES {MESSES+BoOk}*

4   Murder plan take heads off and treat badly (3-3) ILL-USE {kILL}{ rUSE}

5   Deadly poison in bacon items (7) ACONITE [T]

6   I hear everything of poor quality in the music collection (5) A?B?M (Addendum - ALBUM {(~all)AL}{BUM} - See comments) All doesn't sound like AL in ALBUM

7   Charm of bride ends with consumption of arsenic ultimately (7) BEWITCH {BridE}{WIT{a...iC}H}

8   In addition, ten square in times? (5) EXTRA {E{X}{T}RA}

15 Nurse's grievance resolved without final compensation, right? (9) CAREGIVER {GRIEVAnCE*}{R}

16 Top of passing fashion coming up? It's a bloomer (8) DAFFODIL {LID}{OF}{FAD}<=

17 Expecting delivery of cast iron, untied occasionally inside (2,5) IN UTERO {IN{UnTiEd}RO*}

19 Formulates key roadmap on battle over drink (5,2) DRAWS UP {D}{WAR<=}{SUP}

21 It cuts exorbitant rates in fiscal wars primarily (7) FRETSAW {Fi...l}{RATES*}{Wars}

22 Helps a top society go to the bottom (5) ABETS {A}{BE(-s)T(+s)S}

23 Turn a blind eye to rude king killing knight or earl (6) IGNORE {kING*}{OR}{E}

25 Rubbish collector in dress circle (5) GARBO {GARB}{O}

Reference List

Vote = X, Silent = P, Left = L, Money = TIN, Cent = C,  Key = D, Society = S, Knight = K, Earl = E