No 14548, Monday 28 Jul 2025, Afterdark

Solution to 11A 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   Sailor and a copper at second counter (6) ABACUS {AB}{A}{CU}{S}

4   Avoids Mark in a book shop at the entrance (8) ABSTAINS {STAIN} in {A}{B}{Shop}

10 Accuracy of abstract is oddly suspicious for starters (9) PRECISION {PRECIS}{Is}{Od..y}N N from?

11 Criminal and US General are similar (5) A?I?E (Addendum - ALIKE {AL}{IKE} - See comments)

12 Attempts to reset implement, engineer succeeds as per sources (5) TRIES Acrostic

13 Tamil leader's party led over Labour and advanced (9) TRAVELLED {Ta..l}{RAVE}{L{L}ED}

14 Private party in dubious trade is deceived (7) TRAPPED {TRA{PP}ED*}

16 Domestic servant in brothel parties (4) HELP [T]

19 No rules for birds and animals (4) COWS CrOWS

21 Note; learner in contest is a wonder (7) MIRACLE {MI}{RAC{L}E}

24 Disclosed by former media editor (9) EXPRESSED {EX}{PRESS}{ED}

25 Tips, tips to cheat ladies, use emotions slyly (5) CLUES Acrostic

26 Staff are Europeans (5) POLES [DD]

27 Your tea is inside, behind sedans, oddly not on furniture (4,5) EASY CHAIR {Y{CHAI}R}<=>{sEdAnS}

28 Sit awkwardly in gown, say causes anxiety (8) DISTRESS {D{SIT*}RESS}

29 Gorilla spotted in Puerto Rico, Sun records (6) PAPERS {P{APE}R}{S}

DOWN

1   Passion of a prince's small (8) APPETITE {A{P}{PETITE}

2   New camera is displaying a landmass (8) AMERICAS {CAMERA+IS}*

3   Constituents of world organisation has appeal (5) UNITS {UN{IT}S}

5   Unbecoming of Ben; digging a hole in the centre of ground (7) BENEATH {BEN}{EArTH}

6   Tourist in 13 leaves daughter for lover at last (9) TRAVELLER TRAVELLE(-d+r)R

7   Cold spike causes licorice to lose its core and wither (6) ICICLE LICorICE*

8   Rates of grains? Add a penny (6) SPEEDS {S{P}EEDS}

9   Matched with female with appeal, to enjoy delightfully primarily (6) FITTED {F}{IT}{To}{En..y}{De...y}

15 Teacher (female) replaces a chip in the front in computer, say (9) PROFESSOR PRO(-c+f)FESSOR

17 Perfect car, a cute model (8) ACCURATE*

18 Evaluates same combination, will be over for certain (8) MEASURES {MEA{SURE}S*}

20 Doctor sets my son's routines (7) SYSTEMS {SETS+MY+S}*

21 Majority of French inside are humble (6) MODEST {MO{DE}ST}

22 Assisted to pay attention to record stored inside (6) HELPED {HE{LP}ED}

23 Retreat to borders, heartless lieutenants causes accidents (6) SPILLS {LIPS<=}{Li...tS}

25 Bean companies active (5) COCOA {CO}{CO}{A}

Reference List

Sailor = AB, Second = S, Book = B, Criminal = AL, General  = IKE(Eisenhower), Labour = L, Private Party = PP, Rules = R, Note = MI, Learner = L, Editor = ED, Your = YR, Sun = S, Prince = P, Appeal = IT, Daughter = D, Penny = P, Female = F, Son = S, Of in French = DE, Record = LP(Long Play), Company = CO, Active = A