No 14527, Thursday 03 Jul 2025, Arden

Solution to 1D 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

6   Exult as the ultimate champion bags final medal (5) GLOAT {G{m..aL}OAT}

7   Fancy yachts carrying it is seen as a virtue (8) CHASTITY {CHAST{IT}Y*}

10 Reason it's said to make one laugh in hell (7) INFERNO {INFER}{NO} NO or N2O?

11 Activity protects America flooding (7) DOUSING {DO{US}ING}

12 Fought over how the woman was dressed overall (7) CLASHED {CLA{SHE}D}

13 Small place in China ruined Charlie (7) CHAPLIN {CHA{PL}IN*}

14 Compromising on death - there is hidden rage (11) ENDANGERING {END{ANGER}ING}

19 Home gets, say, butane fuel (7) BAGASSE {BA{GAS}SE}

21 Arranged in sets - a kind of poetic form (7) SESTINA {IN+SETS}*{A}

23 Help set back foundation of black granite (7) DIABASE {AID<=}{BASE}

25 Reportedly not a pleasant end for the family (7) DYNASTY (~die nasty}

26 Copier, it provided a welcome drink (8) APERITIF {APER}{IT}{IF}

27 Works with team leader on lubricants (5) TOILS {Team}{OILS}

DOWN

1   Combine ideas with Charlie, one gets even (8) ?O?F?A?E ()

2   Request architects to provide a stiffener (6) STARCH [T]

3   Agreement that electric cable can be wound close to armature (10) ACCORDANCE {AC}{CORD}{CAN*}{a...rE}

4   Poet's come up with something mediocre (4) BARD<=

5   A material to suit oneself (2,4) AT WILL {A}{TWILL}

6   Malfunction starts - good luck charm has it inside (6) GLITCH {Good}{Luck}{CH} over {IT}

8   Huge waves have no rocky mountains (7) TSUNAMI {TSUNAMI+NO}*=MOUNTAINS [CA]

9   Any indoor game is a pain (5) AGONY {A{GO}NY}

13 Angry VIP will raise (7,3) CHEESED OFF {CHEESE}{DOFF}

15 Anguish of the French couple (7) DESPAIR {DES}{PAIR}

16 Denied profits, Matilda dropped the odds (8) GAINSAID {GAINS}{mAtIlDa}

17 Follow a union member right away (5) ABIDE {A}{BrIDE}

18 Greek gods deal with strays (6) SATYRS*

20 Drink and academic performance gets hit (6) GRAPPA {G{RAP}PA}

22 Witness Brown coming up into the house (6) SENATE {SE{TAN<=}E}

24 Leaders enjoy and take sufficient provisions (4) EATS Acrostic

Reference List

Ultimate champion = GOAT(Greatest of all time), Electric = AC, Charm = CH, Of in French = DES, Right = R

No 14526, Wednesday 02 Jul 2025, Arden

Solution to 21D 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   Stray cattle interrupt Indian game - it's in Chennai (7,6) LATTICE BRIDGE {LATT{I}CE*}{BRIDGE}

10 Expert on conservative framework (5) CRACK {C}{RACK}

11 Special separator for, say, Placido Domingo (5,4)  OPERA STAR* 

12 Uncompromising one - cleans it out (9) INELASTIC {1+CLEANS+IT}*

13 Part of outdoor pineapple plant (5) ORPIN [T]

14 Anger building within - loves the plant (7) OREGANO {O{ANGER*}O}

16 Provokes Finnachio - regularly faces defeat (7) INCITES {fInNaChIo}{SET<=}

18 Pick an artist - a tragic character (7) ELECTRA {ELECT}{RA}

20 Country garden - oddly none in Spain (7) GRENADA {GaRdEn}{NADA}

22 Wealth American invested in public convenience (5) MEANS {ME{A}NS}

24 New Englander on Trump's shopping list (9) GREENLAND*

26 Puts up with later changes in digits (9) TOLERATES {TO{LATER*}ES}

27 Bury where the ashes are kept (5) INURN {IN URN}

28 It's cooling off around the border - he knows how crooks operate (13) CRIMINOLOGIST {ITS+COOLING}* over {RIM}

DOWN

2   Scholarship - expert has made mistake (7) ACADEME {AC{MADE*}E}

3   Dismantle or participate around first of April (4,5) TAKE APART {TAKE {Ap..l}PART}

4   Power threat using day time switch... (5) CLOUT CLOU(-d+t)T

5   ...for every one inland violating the law (9) BREACHING {BR{EACH}ING}

6   Kids can show all of them in the middle of the state (5) IDAHO {kIDs}{cAn}{sHOw}

7   Run down with round head ingot (2,2,3) GO TO POT {G{O}{TOP}OT}

8   Sea urchins do come up amidst the American wreckage (13) ECHINODERMATA {DO<=} in {THE+AMERICAN}*

9   With impressive stature, playing to the gallery (13) GRANDSTANDING {GRAND}{STANDING}

15 Great ape gets most of the fruit and a groundnut (9) ORANGUTAN {ORANGe}{A+NUT}*

17 Can single appliance lead to thorough washing? (9) CLEANSING* 

19 Upcoming report includes Indian online shop (1-6) E-TAILER {REL{I}ATE}<=

21 Danger signals as in framing painting from bottom to top (7) A?A?U?S ()

23 Credit in total leads to a scuffle (5) SCRUM {S{CR}UM}

25 Rest left to stand (5) EASEL {EASE}{L}

Reference List

Indian = I, Conservative = C, Artist = RA, None in Spain = NADA, American = A, Day = D, Time = T, Credit = CR, Left = L

No 14525, Tuesday 01 Jul 2025, Arden

Solution to 4A 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   Australian native crazy to get a business degree (6) NUMBAT {NU{MBA}T}

4   Having the means to vent Nitrogen through the back (8) ?F?L?E?T (Addendum - AFFLUENT {AF{FLUE}{N}T} - See comments)

10 Beer drinking - entire publicity is on a singer (9) BALLADEER {B{ALL}{AD}EER}

11 The diminished part of reclaimed compound (5) IMIDE [T<=]

12 A bizarre topic, "Eating right fruit" (7) APRICOT {A}{TOPIC*} over {R}

13 Difficult astride a horse - looking exhausted (7) HAGGARD {H{A}{GG}ARD}

14 After weekend rains join regular Chinese characters (5) KANJI {weeK}{rAiNs+JoIn}

15 First of all make missing employees go into another shift - there will be resistance shown (8) OHMMETER {Make}{Mi...g}{Em...s} in {OTHER}*

18 Plants spiked device (8) CALTROPS [DD]

20 'Royal Crown', part of Nova Scotia rail road (5) TIARA [T]

23 Cup of tea left to become cold (7) CHALICE {CHA}{L}{ICE}

25 A country blocks message - taking a break (7) PAUSING PA{USING} Anno pending (Addendum - {P{A}{US}ING} - See comments)

26 Books houses - time to go for hotel (5) TOMES (-h+t)TOMES

27 Grounds restrict parking as they get into their shells (9) TERRAPINS {TERRA{P}INS}

28 Reporters go about collecting some money to back horses (8) HACKNEYS {HACK{YEN<=}S}

29 Cancel river crossing permit (6) DELETE {DE{LET}E}

DOWN

1   Bankers involved a state (8) NEBRASKA {BANKERS}*{A}

2   Average in America for a factory to manage (7) MILLRUN {MILL}{RUN}

3   A new car, perhaps this could be revolutionary (9) ANARCHIST {A}{N}{CAR*}{THIS*}

5   Opt for the smart activity usually (3,3,4,4) FOR THE MOST PART*

6   Fish bit the fly finally - you're not telling the truth (5) LYING {L{flY}ING}

7   Domain equilibrium - both sides cross (7) EMIRATE {Eq...uM}{IRATE}

8   Strive to nab, close in (6) TRENDY {TR{END}Y}

9   Other converts not yet ostracised (4,2,8) SENT TO COVENTRY*

16 Following gents without clothes - how old are we? (9) ENTOURAGE {gENTs}{OUR AGE}

17 Willingness to provide gearless version (8) LARGESSE*

19 Harry came in around the second of January looking pale (7) ANAEMIC {CAME+IN}* over {jAn...y}

21 Spaniard's admission in a square perhaps is absurd (7) ASININE {A}{SI}{NINE}

22 Put a lid on a drink (6) SCOTCH [DD]

24 Norwegian playwright in describing our stock market (5) IBSEN {I{BSE}N}

Reference List

Publicity = AD, Right = R, Horse = GG, Left = L, Time = T, Hotel = H, Parking = P, New = N, Yes in Spain = SI