HAPPY NEW YEAR
Almost a Pangram (but for J, X, Y). I always have problems with the 4 letter words from Neyartha. Stuck on 20A.
ACROSS
1 Set aflame canes for the public official’s wrongdoing (11) MALFEASANCE*
9 Marine’s strange acquittal after the lieutenant disappears
(7) AQUATIC ACQUITtAl*
10 Search on the Internet for the German leader forced out by
Oscar’s stare (6) GOOGLE {GO(-g+o)OGLE}
11 Cadet needing psychological attention? (5) SPACE [CD]
12 A detailed account of the concert (7) RECITAL [DD]
15 Benefit from student rising after beating is cut short (4) PLUS P(+l)U(-l)Se
16 Announcer Edward enters Wanderers by mistake (10) NEWSREADER {NEWSR{E}ADER*}
18 Not filled by an election, position I have needs revolutionary
father initially (10) APPOINTIVE {AP<=}{POINT}{I'VE}
23 Prattle on the micro-blogging website (7) TWITTER [DD]
24 Mexican pyramid builder is from an Arizona engineering school
reportedly (5) AZTEC {AZ}{TEC}(~tech)
26 Related to a type of bulb holding writing fluid (6) LINKED {L{INK}ED}
27 Very large cloak for lawyer (a Greek character) sent back to the
religious people (7) OBLATES {O{BL}{ATE<=}S}
28 Graphic artists tamper rinks accidentally (11) PRINTMAKERS*
DOWN
2 Song of praise by the Oriental discharged after transforming
methane (6) ANTHEM METHANe*
3 Save this to keep reputation intact (4) FACE [CD]
4 Offensive gags? Revise when busted (10) AGGRESSIVE*
5 Guerrilla Tom is edgy about hiding and getting zapped (8) ATOMISED [T]
6 Caught, we hear, with a kind of kale (7) COLLARD (~collared)
7 Ram in retreat with us upset by friend protecting the single
koala, say (9) MARSUPIAL {MAR<=}{SU<=}{P{1}AL}
13 Purpose of a sacred chant at the moor’s end by the nations of
the infidels (10) HEATHENDOM {HEATH}{END}{OM} What is the role of 'purpose' in the clue?
14 Bag of twisted fibre placed in front of the proceedings (9) BRIEFCASE {FIBRE*}{CASE}
17 Inappropriate presence on the sides of the road to Alaska
(8) MISTAKEN {MI{ST}{AK}EN}
19 Northbound salesman hoarding a weed killer is initially more
artful (7) PAWKIER {P{A}{W}{K}{I}ER<=}
21 Pinto tolerates contents as a whole (2,4) IN TOTO [T]
22 Guest of the person initiating a phone call (6) CALLER [DD]
25 Literary work on a chess piece (queen) getting sacrificed for a
bishop (4) BOOK (-r+b)BOOK
