No 14589, Monday 15 Sep 2025, KrisKross

HAPPY ENGINEERS DAY

Solution to 17D 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   Fly from Basra via Teheran (6) AVIATE [T]

4   Spooner says boy, drunk, is an unsporting person (3,5) BAD LOSER (~lad boozer}

10 She has no hope in new diets having energy to cut obesity (9) DEFEATIST {DE{F{E}AT}IST*}

11 Surrealist about to paint India's epic (5) ILIAD {DA{I}LI<=}

12 Heart patient's endless worry about nursing help after retirement (7) CARDIAC {CARe} and {C}{AID}<=  (Correction {CARe}{C} over {AID}<= - See comments)

13 Be careful in European park when cycling (2,5) EN GARDE {E}{(+n)NGARDE(-n)}

14 Everyone trusts this, oddly (5) TUTTI {TrUsTs+ThIs}

15 Leave den in retreat centrally sited in West Asian country (8) EVACUATE {CAVE<=}{UA{siTed}E}

18 Farm building - one housing large creature (8) BARNACLE {BARN}{AC{L}E}

20 Attractive person from Portugal quitting prize match (5) CUTIE {CUp}{TIE}

23 Runs a bath to hide worry (7) PERTURB {PER}{TU{R}B}

25 Prosecute artist assuming a doctor's name (7) ARRAIGN {A}{R{RA}IG}{N}

26 Orange mineral outside church (5) OCHRE {O{CH}RE}

27 Bankers arranged 50% loan for resident of Omaha (9) NEBRASKAN {BANKERS*}{loAN}

28 Academy's contrarian leader expelled - it's fitting (8) APPOSITE {A}{oPPOSITE}

29 Makes one group in University to withdraw (6) UNITES {SET}{IN}{U}<=

DOWN

1   Daring one killed in luxury car near a metropolis (8) AUDACITY {AUDi}{A}{CITY}

2   Dead tissue beginning to rot inside? Really? (7) INFARCT {Rot} in {IN FACT}

3   It's customary to be tense, avoiding a treatment for cancer (9) TRADITION {T}{RADIaTION}

5   Macbeth says: "A peer's heart changes according to the circumstances" (2,3,4,3,2) AS THE CASE MAY BE {MACBETH+SAYS+A+pEEr}*

6   Dishonest agent missed giving a response (5) LYING repLYING

7   Vegetable again planted in border (7) SKIRRET {SKIR{RE}T}

8   Milk producer following essentially "Dairies guide" (6) RUDDER {UDDER}<=>{daiRies}

9   Place to keep cutlery for informal advisors (7,7) KITCHEN CABINET [DD]

16 Centaur with wings of iron flying up in the air (9) UNCERTAIN {CENTAUR+IroN}*

17 Stall workers carrying national flags (8) ?E?N?N?S (Addendum - PENNANTS {PEN}{ANTS} over {N} - See comments)

19 Shows cool form of transport (7) AIRSHIP {AIRS}{HIP}

21 Sign in gift: "Not a toy!" (7) TRINKET {TR{INK}EaT}

22 An exercise covering half of nose leads to a breathing problem (6) APNOEA {A}{P{NOse}E}{A}

24 Customers and escorts leaving hotel (5) USERS UShERS

Reference List

Energy = E, India = I, About = C, European = E, Large = L, Runs = R, Artist = RA, Name = N, Church = CH, Academy = A, University = U, Tense = T, Again = RE, National = N, Cool = HIP, Exercise = PE, Hotel = H