No 14668, Thursday 18 Dec 2025, Arden

Solution to 21D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Revise possible action leading to clash (11) ALTERCATION {ALTER}{ACTION*}

7   Woman starts speaking of women (3) SOW Acrostic

9   So long for a gold plated cube (5) ADIEU {A{DIE}U}

10 Move to permit one in ten, perhaps (2,7) EN PASSANT {PASS}{AN} in {TEN}*

11 Psychological baggage of one pound - like accepting separate review (9) ALBATROSS {A}{LB}{A{SORT<=}S}

12 Senseless when an invitation is rejected partly (5) INANE [T<=]

13 A pitch to remove nail polish (7) ACETONE {ACE}{TONE}

15 Here and there - again they all end in paradise (4) EDEN Tail Acrostic

18 Crazy over knock out (4) STUN<=

20 Indian army during regular patrols hides weapons (7) ARSENAL {pAtRo{SENA}L}

23 Subject revised within a month (5) OMANI [T<=]

24 Flyer's Irish, wearing old hat (9) PASSERINE {PASS{ERIN}E}

26 Changed mind to take part in club game (9) BADMINTON {BA{MIND*}TON}

27 Small part of golf course in New York (5) TEENY {TEE}{NY}

28 Noise from God dispensing love (3) DIN oDIN

29 Free to recall name - police department retains head (11) EMANCIPATED {NAME<=}{CI{PATE}D}

DOWN

1   Indian politician repeatedly picks up Chinese grass (4-4) AGAR-AGAR {RAGA}{RAGA}<=

2   Strives to save one pound as they go over people's heads (8) TRILBIES {TR{1}{LB}IES}

3   French writer had no power to force people off their slumber (5) ROUST {pROUST} 

4   One on either side - allowing me to raise a plant (7) ANEMONE {AN}{ME<=}{ONE}

5   Stop self confession of an old-fashioned person (7) IMPASSE {I'M}{PASSE}

6   New wine overhead shows bad quality (9) NASTINESS {N}{ASTI}{NESS}

7   Healer is a fake one (6) SHAMAN {SHAM}{AN}

8   Disappear after accompanying the Queen (6) WITHER {WITH}{ER}

14 Nothing good about slight intrusion - it's a precarious situation (2,4,3) ON THIN ICE {O}{N{THIN}ICE}

16 It comes to grip with tragic ending of the poor and destitute (8) INDIGENT {I{ENDING*}T}

17 Favourite looked sad to begin with (4-4) BLUE-EYED {EYED}<=>{BLUE}

19 It's highly inflammable - sleep over with hard hat, perhaps (7) NAPHTHA {NAP}{H}{HAT*}

20 As nice as fantastic run through (7) ARSENIC {NICE+AS}* over {R}

21 Can swing both ways in bar - stop it (6) ?O?B?D (Addendum - FORBID {FOR{BI}D} - See comments)

22 Agree music is uplifting - come again? (6) PARDON {NOD}{RAP}<=

25 Best opening line inside bar (5) ESTOP [T]

Reference List

Cube = DIE, Head = PATE, Power = P, New = N, Head = NESS, Queen = ER, Hard = H, Run = R