No 13497, Monday 07 Mar 2022, Vidwan

Solution to 12A 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.

ACROSS

1   “Work, Worker, Working”? Doesn’t make sense! (6) WANTON {W}{ANT}{ON}

4   Trouble shooter HR guy responsible for lay-offs? (7) FIREMAN [DD]

9   I turn it on desperately for food (9) NUTRITION*

10 Base point for climber’s spike (5) PITON*

11 Retrogressive, time-tested, not established or put in circulation (7) EMITTED {TIME+TestED}* (Addendum - {TIME<=}{TestED} - See comments)

12 “Hard work over recommendation” — that symbolises Girl Scouts (7) ?R?E?O?L (Addendum - TREFOIL {T{REF}OIL} - See comments)

13 State of current passing through water atoms (4) OHIO {OH{I}O} 

14 Greedy mostly travel over to America (8) COVETOUS {COVEr}{TO}{US}

16 Wound up after a non-drinker turned up (8) ATTENDED {ENDED}<=>{A}{TT}

17 Match where Tamil Nadu overwhelmed West Indies (4) TWIN {T{WI}N}

20 Expressed unnoticed? (7) DENOTED {DE-NOTED}

21 A path and area reserved for Goddess (7) ASTRAEA {A}{ST}{AREA*}

22 City transportation has one hideosity essentially (5) CAIRO {CA{1}R}{h..eOs..y}

23 Giving work at least, involves device checking for example (9) EMPLOYING {E{M{PLOY}IN}G}

24 Passes over grand, extremely tortuous compilations (7) DIGESTS {DI{G}{ES}{To...uS}

25 Sanction little money, say (6) ASSENT (~a cent)

DOWN

1   Flew, for instance, backwards in air (6) WINGED {WIN{EG<=}D}

2   I don’t want things free yet (15) NOTWITHSTANDING*

3   Ha! Toon Ghost is up! Ripping with retreating teeth (15) OPISTHOGNATHOUS*

4   Entertaining title not mostly apt for work (8) FUNCTION {FUN}{CapTION}

5   Narratives about current leaderless states (15) REPRESENTATIONS {RE{PRESENT}lATIONS} (Correction - {RE}{PRESENT{nATIONS} - See comments)

6   Turn into a city like Rome, Napoli... set it up! (15) METROPOLITANISE*

7   Cryptic — puzzle (7) NONPLUS [DD]

8   Language spoken in Cochin District (5) HINDI [T]

15 Uncalled for taunts about someone’s origin (8) NEEDLESS {NEEDLE{So...e}S}

16 Mentioned more about UPA and Congress leaders (7) ADDUCED {ADD{Upa}{Co...s}ED}

18 Dominant insects in North America (5) WASPS [CD?] [DD] - See comments

19 Taken as cold and interminably arrogant (6) CAUGHT {C}{hAUGHTy}

Reference List

Work = W, Current = I, Non-drinker = TT,  Grand = G, Cold = C, About = RE