No 14561, Tuesday 12 Aug 2025, Vidwan

Solution to 16A 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.

Grid with 'unches' in 16A & 18A

ACROSS

1   '10' of the fingers (7) DIGITAL [CD]

5   Show Pluto's game (7) DISPLAY {DIS}{PLAY}

9   Master setter hosted by professional restaurant employee (5) CHIEF {CH{I}EF}

10 Jail inmates' food for policeman (9) CONSTABLE {CONS}{TABLE}

11 Knowing more than required on a specific subject like stupid ASCII developers (15) OVERSPECIALISED*

13 Say, as it seems to be once in a while arrangement (6) SYSTEM {SaY+aS+iT+sEeMs}

16 Coot cut tail off for one who gives something of value (8) ?S?I??O? (Addendum - ASSIGNOR {ASS}{IGNORe} - See comments)

18 Cubism reshaped extremely orthodox, mechanical melodic device (5,3) MUSIC BOX {CUBISM*}{Or...oX}

19 Decide about removed winter settlement (2-4) DE-ICED*

23 The detail about sex, clear it anyhow (8,7)  DEFINITE ARTICLE  {DEFIN{IT}E} {CLEAR+IT}*

26 English posers having right to be personal attendants of the royals (9) EQUERRIES {E}{QUER{R}IES}

27 A large and deep brook (5) ALLOW {A}{L}{LOW}

28 Soldier sitting in bar makes sense! (7) LOGICAL {LO{GI}CAL}

29 Become a completely hollow illusion (7) FALLACY {FALL}{A}{Co...lY}

DOWN

1   Court jamming openings for perverts (7) DOCTORS {DO{CT}ORS}

2   Grand covers covering royal fliers (7) GLIDERS {G}{LID{ER}S}

3   Fights hard after leader is relegated (5) TIFFS (-s)TIFF(+s)S

4   Border with Pakistan on roadside, most safe (6) LOCKER {LOC}{KERb}

5   Most foppish father has no fancy ties? (8) DANDIEST {DA{N}D}{TIES*}

6   Weekend, high-class circles, Liberal dominion (9) SATELLITE {SAT}{EL{L}ITE}

7   Rounded parts intrinsic to abdominal obesity (5) LOBES [T]

8  Give year to flourish without work (5) YIELD {Y}{wIELD}

12 Act distant, run away (5) EMOTE rEMOTE

14 Yes! Not the first house address for many! (5) YOUSE {Y}{hOUSE}

15 Election Commission and Centre almost joining in coalition basically! That's not normal! (9) ECCENTRIC {EC}{CENTRe}{In}{Co...n}

17 Spooner's loud cry to take a small mountain (8) FOOTHILL (~hoot fill to foothill)

20 It sounds the brain basically, shrub Holmes regularly consumed (7) COCHLEA {COC{HoLmEs}A}

21 Bad idea to swerve around after a slack (3,4) DIE AWAY {IDEA*}{YAW<=}

22 Prayer when creating a mountain peak (6) MASSIF {MASS}{IF} It's a Range not a peak

23 Lie to succeed, steering clear of love (5) DWELL {Do WELL}

24 Threw away with force to plunge endlessly (5) FLUNG {F}{pLUNGe}

25 Time to tender large fishing net (5) TRAWL {T}{RAW}{L}

Reference List

Sex = IT, English = E, Right = R, Large = L, Soldier = GI, Court = CT, Grand = G, Royal = ER, No = N, Liberal = L, Year = Y, Work = W, Run = R, Yes = Y, Force = F, Time = T