No 14035, Saturday 02 Dec 2023, Arden

ACROSS

1   Decorate him with an exotic starfish (13) ECHINODERMATA {DECORATE+HIM+AN}*

10 Uneasy truce to be pared again (5) RECUT*

11 Perhaps the player, a junior, is not a professional (9) LAYPERSON {PLAYER*}{SON}

12 Non-air conditioned accommodation will revert to the old South African (9) HOTTENTOT {HOT}{TENT}{TO<=}

13 Talks audibly about the subject (5) SAUDI [T]

14 Unwelcome intrusion by Vatican footman (7) SEEPAGE {SEE}{PAGE}

16 One is on speed or a jar of wine (7) AMPHORA {A}{MPH}{OR}{A}

18 Confused Mike ran around the dish (7) RAMEKIN* (Addendum - {RA{MIKE*}N} - See comments)

20 Ants all around the food, is it wise ? (7) SAPIENT {SA{PIE}NT*}

22 With blood suckers works like clockwork (5) TICKS [DD]

24 Means of identifying a microbe? It may be (9) BIOMETRIC*

26 Instructions to sleep in with the attendants (9) ORDERLIES {ORDER{LIE}S}

27 The golden brooch retained the colour (5) OCHRE [T]

28 Such fillings could be impersonating (13) IMPREGNATIONS*

DOWN

2   Bed: Got into bed with sweetheart, such a dish! (7) COCOTTE {CO{COT}T}{swEet}

3   Unaware, I drank the concoction (2,3,4) IN THE DARK*

4   Little bird in the snow? Let it be (5) OWLET [T]

5   Agent playing "I spy" with these people (9) EGYPTIANS {AGENT+I+SPY}*

6   Comes face to face during some sports (5) MEETS [DD]

7   Troop leader ousted, moving in old battle formation (7) TESTUDO {Tr..p}{OUSTED*}

8   Managing many players with a choice on cabinet allocation (13) ORCHESTRATION {OR}{CHEST}{RATION}

9   Some physical entities could be paternalistic (13) ANTIPARTICLES*

15 With the cap almost raised Heather is dignifying (9) ENNOBLING {BONNEt<=}{LING}

17 Some spice and onion, not on sausage (9) PEPPERONI {PEPPER}{ONIon}

19 What the woman's got about the pavement? (7) MACADAM {MA{CA}DAM}

21 Lug comes later with something made from mud (7) EARTHEN {EAR}{THEN}

23 More confident inside where Russians come up (5) SURER [T<=]

25 With an alternate version of music is perhaps oasis (5) OSSIA*

Reference List

About = CA

No 14034, Friday 01 Dec 2023, Arden

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY

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PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

1   Follows time frames (6) TRACKS {T}{RACKS}

4   Confidante arrested - brief hold-up in the capital city (8) ADELAIDE {A{DELAy}IDE}

10 A national dish - probably West European comes first (5,4) IRISH STEW {WEST}*<=>{IRISH}

11 Either way, it's a law (5) TENET <=>

12 Active national service perhaps enlivens this country (7) CROATIA {nATIOnAl+seRviCe}* [CA]

13 I somehow retain passivity (7) INERTIA {I}{RETAIN*}

14 Preserved over time, lemon tree? (5) ELEMI [T<=]

15 Bird finally caught by the river (8) TITMOUSE TI{c...hT}{MOUSE}  Anno for TI  not clear

18 Hood by himself, without hood (2,6) AL CAPONE {AL{CAP}ONE}.

20 River country (5) NIGER [DD]

23 Farm animals he had briefly kept here (7) COWSHED {COWS}{HE'D}Semi&lit

25 Hope he goes - media bully (7) OPPRESS {hOPe}{PRESS}

26 Heads of all middle eastern emirates regard him as very rich (5) AMEER Acrostic

27 Six attempts allowed - provided it becomes glass (9) VITRIFIES {VI}{TR{IF}IES}

28 Something to make you remember those two girls (8) ROSEMARY {ROSE}{MARY}

29 She's in a delirious medical condition (6) HERNIA {HER}{IN+A}*

DOWN

1   Shows nervousness, the fool! Game's unfinished (8) TWITCHES {TWIT}{CHESs}

2   Fat girl in a puzzle (7) ADIPOSE {A}{DI}{POSE}

3   Decode "Kashmiriyat", I'm not involved as a warrior (9) KSHATRIYA KASHmiRIYAT*

5   Unhappy, sad in the opening (4,2,3,5) DOWN IN THE MOUTH {DOWN}{IN}{THE}{MOUTH}

6   Departed without breakfast, finally some coffee (5) LATTE {LA{b...sT}TE}

7   Design it, especially to keep torches (7) IGNITES [T]

8   Cut up over contract, gets trick (6) ENTRAP {E{NT}RAP<=}

9   Busy waterway, so at first drove off (7,2,5) STRAITS OF DOVER*

16 Only the French have fancy iPhone, he loves his wine (9) OENOPHILE {O}{LE} over {IPHONE}*

17 May be she is in air craft, between Holyhead and Dublin (5,3) IRISH SEA {SHE+IS}* in {AIR}*

19 England in the centre, followed by Wales perhaps and Scotland on top - It's chaotic (7) LAWLESS {engLand}{WALES}*{Sc...d}

21 Old Greek racing off to surround Constantinople finally (7) GRECIAN {GR{c...lE}CIAN*}

22 Calories bad, so removed sweet stuff (6) ECLAIR CALoRIEs*

24 Share market holds women in bondage (5) HAREM [T]

Reference List

Time = T, Girl = DI, Contract = NT(No trumps), The in French = LE