No 10686, Saturday 02 Feb 13, Lightning

Good one from Lightning.

ACROSS

1   “14 12” and “11 8” has altered our understanding of all that exists (8) UNIVERSE [CD]

5   Fearful of a head-on, forceful attack (6) AFRAID {A}{F}{RAID}

9   Skillfully completed and thoroughly cooked (4,4) WELL DONE [DD]

10 Push for training by student (6) PROPEL {PRO}{PE}{L}

12 Key, perhaps to science’s primary rate of progress? (5) SPACE {S}{PACE}

13 Lamenting blunder in arrangement (9) ALIGNMENT*

14 Twisted villain initially interrupting treatment with some deviousness (6) CURVED {CUR{V}E}{D}

16 The Spanish firm admits oddly garbed renaissance painter (2,5) EL GRECO {EL} {GaRbEd}{CO}

19 Dexterity of the Parisian introduced in show (7) SLEIGHT {S{LE}IGHT}

21 Right away, share the magic medicine (6) POTION POrTION

23 Betters return on investment sending back wood shavings for packaging (9) EXCELSIOR {EXCELS}{IOR<=}

25 Faint after a shortwhile outside work (5) SWOON {S{W}OON}

26 Unsatisfactory conclusion to cause displeasure (6) OFFEND {OFF}{END}

27 Ultimate belief in a utopian system (8) IDEALISM [E]

28 Late to get back, quietly slipped in and ran (6) DASHED {DA{SH}ED<=}

29 Critical analysis of sex, is gee, disturbing! (8) EXEGESIS*

DOWN

1   Foolish one going after a French woman on the banks of Seine (6) UNWISE {UN}{W}{1}{SeinE}

2   Irritable disposition from unhealthy environment (3,6) ILL NATURE {ILL} {NATURE}

3   Invest excessive energy to supplant union leader (5) ENDUE (-u+e)ENDUE

4   Twenty per cent of supernovas are pulled back towards our brightest star (7) SUNWARD {SUpernovas}{NWARD<=}

6   Keep defender, say, for a couple of weeks (9) FORTNIGHT {FORT}{NIGHT}(~knight)

7   Newton’s inspiration is big in New York (5) APPLE [DD]

8   Lengthy discussion on cover-up of measure to release Carbon (8) DILATION {DIL<=}{AcTION}

11 Release overturned for now, perhaps? (4) TIME <=

15 Questionable, leaving it to a self-appointed policeman (9) VIGILANTE*

17 Regularly choose income to be distributed for financial considerations (9) ECONOMICS {ChOoSe + INCOME}*

18 Minor planet, star-shaped, circling around earth is half-barren (8) ASTEROID {AST{E}R*}{devOID}

20, 21 Double contradiction in a hypothetical situation where one sibling ages faster? (4,7) TWIN PARADOX {TWIN} {PARADOX}

22 To begin any negotiation, it’s essential to cut short hostility (6) ANIMUS {A}{N}{I}{MUSt}

24 Without a trace of sound, drags shackles (5) CUFFS sCUFFS

25 Girls from the south describing northern jargon (5) SLANG {SLA{N}G<=}

LINK TO SOLUTION

No.10685, Friday 1 Feb 13, Klue Klux Klan

Good one. Liked PREPOSITION, CONSULTANT and GASBAG

ACROSS
1 Could be after or before office (11) PREPOSITION (PRE + POSITION)
9 Withdraw from transaction in counter (7) RETRACT (CD?) (TR inside REACT) See comments below
10 Two hands in a bush? (6) PAWPAW (2 x PAW)
11 Unlimited impious disastrous drug (5) OPIUM (iMPIOUs)
12 Primitive impish one in charge (7) ARCHAIC (ARCH + A + IC)
15 Newspaper page opened heartlessly (2-2) OP-ED (OPenED)
16 Advisor who partly controls, protects ruler (10) CONSULTANT (CONTrols outside SULTAN)
18 Something new at the lodge was met with applause (10) INNOVATION (INN + OVATION)
20 Fruit for New Zealander (4) KIWI (DD)
23 Emanating the fragrance of sodium (7) NASCENT (Na + SCENT)
24 Delight when returning from the bar (5) REVEL (LEVER<=)
26 A bore to capture petrol first (6) GASBAG (GAS + BAG)
27 Headgear is a brown wrench? (7) CAPSTAN (CAP + S + TAN)

28 Hatred of man forces one out of brutality (11) MALEVOLENCE (MALE + ViOLENCE)

DOWN
2 Kingdoms with genuine heartless mayors (6) REALMS (REAL + MayorS)
3 Endless indifference on the course (4) PATH (aPATHy)
4 The U.S. prospers despite one who arrests (10) SUPPRESSOR (US PROSPERS)*
5 Hallow gutted nudist who ruined the Government building (4,4) TOWN, HALL (HALLOW NudisT)*
6 Needing no introduction, Marconi played the instrument (7) OCARINA (mARCONI)* Fodder missing A

7 So, no microphone is designed for comfort? (9) ERGONOMIC (ERGO + NO + MIC)
8 In discord, good man left rifle out (6) STRIFE (ST + RIFlE)
13 Card game of dark African country? (10) MONTENEGRO (MONTE + NEGRO) (Correction - African removed from definition - See comments)

14 Adolescent on a journey in a catapult? (9) STRIPLING (TRIP inside SLING)
17 Buzzing, vocal bee capable of being summoned (8) EVOCABLE (VOCAL BEE)*
19 At waterfall, puzzled grammarian loses right mental makeup initially (7) NIAGARA (GrAmmARIAN)*
21 Call for sprocket-less cognitive rearrangement (6) INVITE (cogNITIVE)*
22 A theme embracing king of Cancer, for one (6) TROPIC (TOPIC outside R)
25 Pain inherent in maniac helper (4) ACHE (T)

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