No 14537, Tuesday 15 Jul 2025, KrisKross

Solution to 9A 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   Help to pack box for philosopher (8) SOCRATES {SO{CRATE}S}

5   Softly, KrisKross cutting blue game bird (6) MAGPIE {MAG{P}{I}E*}

9   Bug in table #9 - repulsive! (6,2) L?S?E? I? (Addendum - LISTEN IN {LIST}{NINE<=} - See comments)

10 Have a taste - initial sip's enough (6) SAMPLE {Sip}{AMPLE}

12 Landlord tense, wearing formal dress in a place with no residents (5,4) GHOST TOWN {G{HOST}{T}OWN}

13 Suspend cycling near an African state (5) GHANA {(+g)GHAN(-g)}{A}

14 Look around Thar - ultimately arid! (4) SERE {SE{thaR}E}

16 Girl had to pay money without getting caught! (7) LASSOED {LASS}{OwED}

19 Play extremely depressing and teary? (7) TRAGEDY {d...nG+TEARY}* &lit (Correction - {De...nG+TEARY}* &lit - See comments)

21 American company meets a ruler of ancient empire (4) INCA {INC}{A}

24 Prone to storytelling? (5) LYING [DD]

25 Tree cracking ramshackle tavern causes confusion (9) RAVELMENT {RAV{ELM}ENT*}

27 Faithful soldier leaving base is missing (6) TRUANT {TRUe}{ANT}

28 Slip pal made in writing (8) PROLAPSE {PRO{PAL*}SE}

29 Rabbits in retreat longing to tuck into lettuce (6) CONEYS {CO{YEN<=}S}

30 Judge read about including loan payment in complaint (8) JEREMIAD {J}{ER{EMI}AD*}

DOWN

1   Hermit eating essentially wild fodder (6) SILAGE {S{wILd}AGE}

2   In panic, US to modify policy (6) CUSTOM [T]

3   Master is correct to consume alternate diet (5) ADEPT {A{DiEt}PT}

4   One entering record book is a perfect example (7) EPTIOME {1} in {EP}{TOME}

6   Spies returning to arrest fallen angels to get drug (9) ANALGESIC {CIA<=} over {ANGELS}*

7   Father's withdrawn plan to procure party snack (8) POPPADOM {POP}{PAM<=} over {DO}

8   Reportedly, setter is able to decoy vacuous, pretty girl (3,5) EYE CANDY {(~i)EYE}{CAN}{DecoY}

11 A mostly sick plant (4) ANIL {AN}{ILl}

15 Crisis in Greece - money regularly faked (9) EMERGENCY {GREECE+MoNeY}*

17 Strapping helmet oddly inside storage room (8) ATHLETIC {AT{HeLmEt}TIC}

18 Originally, "Torn Curtain" designed to be silent (8) TACITURN {Tom}{CURTAIN}*

20 Cart overturned in garden (4) YARD<=

21 Contrarian poets think this way? (7) INVERSE {IN VERSE}

22 Ancient town's new helipad not active (6) DELPHI HELIPaD*

23 When it's time to sleep, start to deaden mind (6) ATTEND {AT TEN}{De...n}

26 Tale about ladies in part of France (5) LILLE {LI{LL}E}

Reference List

Softly = P, Tense = T, With = W, Base = E, Judge = J, Record = EP(Extended Play), Party = DO, active = A, Lady = L