No 12667, Tuesday 02 Jul 2019, Arden

ACROSS
1    Regular chit chat, deal with the insect (6) CICADA {ChIt+ChAt+DeAl}



4    Extremely courageous — visitor takes its place (8) GUTSIEST {GU{ITS*}EST} Place as Anind?
9    Gets scared to criticize old bureaucracy (6) PANICS {PAN}{ICS}
10 Climber working in Oracle (8) LONICERA*

12 What Sam perhaps stole before comes to boil (8) FURUNCLE {UNCLE}<=>{FUR}
13 Some of the foreign items will catch fire (6) IGNITE [T]
15 Alienation of aliens in a movie (12) ESTRANGEMENT {STRANGE MEN} in {ET}
18 To avoid issues at the beginning, chill out in nature regularly (5,7) BIRTH CONTROL  {BIRTH}{CO{NaTuRe}OL}
21 Starts with annual vacation and the aftermath — recent movie (6) AVATAR Acrostic
22 Business contract about casual labour evokes scorn (8) CONTEMPT {CO}{N{TEMP}T}
24 Train in fact is sabotaged (8) DERAILED {DE{RAIL}ED}
25 Extremely formal examination of flowers (6) FLORAL {Fo..aL}{ORAL}
26 Free to pick a bone, perhaps overconfident (8) DEBONAIR {A+BONE}* in {RID}<= Something's not right here
27 Hire land for electronic bulletin board (6) USENET {USE}{NET}

DOWN
1    Face up to bully, pick-me-up (3,2,3) CUP OF TEA*
2    Figure assumed correct, not even something real (8) CONCRETE {CON{CoRrEcT}E}
3    Medication, not an alternative for a clean up (15) DECONTAMINATION*
5    Supported by not company voucher (4) UPON coUPON
6    Glistening tents set up with plants (8,7) STINGING NETTLES*

7    It makes you throw up — throw up the thing in church (6) EMETIC {EM}{C{IT}E<=} (Addendum - {C{ITEM}E}<= - See comments)
8    Herb's tense, standby (6) TEASEL {T}{EASEL}

11 Clue, goes in through Great Britain (7) BLIGHTY {B{LIGHT}Y}
14 Foreign character will ignore China in short (7) OMICRON Anno pending (Addendum - {OMIt}{CRONy} - See comments)
16 Boat's tidy, guaranty from the centre (8) TRIMARAN {TRIM}{guARANty}

17 Left in the head, block this coagulant (8) PLATELET {P{L}ATE}{LET}
19 Open and stop the investigators (6) CANDID {C{AND}ID}
20 In December, Gazprom raised some capital... (6) ZAGREB [T<=]
23 ...still one keeps a look out for this (4) YETI {YET}{1} Semi&lit

Reference List
Contract = NT(No trumps), Company = CO, - = EM, Tense = T, Left = L

GRID

No 12666, Monday 01 Jul 2019, Gridman

ACROSS
1   Mother reading tomes about primate (8) MARMOSET {MA}{R}{TOMES*}

6   Preserve black door frame (4) JAMB {JAM}{B}
9   Friend had a different version of spiritual leader (6) BUDDHA {BUD}{HAD*}
10 Kory's city? (3,4) NEW YORK {KORY}* [RA]
13 Say as an aside as son leaves cross and Jack comes in (9) INTERJECT INTER(-s+j)JECT
14 Good to be in control and hold sway (5) REIGN {REI{G}N}
15 Want a great sum in India to kickstart (4) LACK {LAC}{Kick}
16 Ban disturbs PHS cronies (10) CENSORSHIP*
19 It is breathtaking literally (10) INHALATION [CD]
21 Broadcast about Tamil leader's pack (4) STOW {S{T}OW}
24 Mathematician's empty talk about the latter half of addition (5) GAUSS {GA{plUS}S}
25 Member of order chosen after Church's first division (9) CARMELITE {ELITE} after {Ch...h}{ARM}
26 In general, it's up to a couple of learners (7) OVERALL {OVeR}{A}{LL}
27 Initial start not in film locale (6) OUTSET {OUT}{SET}
28 Get attention at opening of novel (4) EARN {EAR}{No..l}
29 Limited, best mention by first writer (8) ESSAYIST {bESt}{SAY}{1ST}

DOWN
2   A question on a mark left incomplete and relating to water (7) AQUATIC {A}{QU}{A}{TICk}
3   New style rang oddly (6) MODERN {MODE}{RaNg}
4   Nation heard intended declaration (9) STATEMENT {STATE}{MENT}(~ meant)
5   Principle of fellows quitting flat (5) TENET TENEmenT
7   Get rid of sailor, a foreigner who has lost his head (7) ABOLISH {AB}{pOLISH}
8   It contributes to a rise in the making of cakes (6,6) BAKING POWDER [CD]
11 Careful about credit to a rallying slogan (3,3) WAR CRY {WAR{CR}Y}
12 Collegian did get round to it before making a long-distance call (8,4) DIALLING CODE*
17 Who's destroyed moors' renovated retail areas? (9) SHOWROOMS {WHOS+MOORS}*
18 Blood fluid — a sample incompletely drawn out (6) PLASMA {A+SAMPLe}*
20 Hollywood's top film director's arrogance (7) HAUTEUR {Ho...d}{AUTUER}
22 Pictures non-U hurt muscles (7) TRICEPS PICTuRES*
23 Guard dispatched to line (6) SENTRY {SENT}{RY}
25 Left in grotto to give birth in a way (5) CALVE {CA{L}VE}

Reference List
Mother = MA, Reading = R, Black = B, Son = S, Jack = J, Good = G, Learner = L, Question = QU, Sailor = AB, Credit = CR, Line = RY(Railway), Left = L

GRID