No 14061, Tuesday 02 Jan 2024, Arden

Solution to 20D 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Countryman took woman and fled outside (7) RWANDAN {R{W}{AND}AN}

5   The French have right to enter the port (2,5) LE HAVRE {LE}{HAV{R}E}

9   People say "Choose Kindle" (5) PIQUE (~pick)

10 Comic act riding a horse with a cougar (9) CATAMOUNT {ACT*}{A}{MOUNT}

11 Anatolia is in Arkansas, I am in Oregon (4,5) ASIA MINOR [T]

12 Egg on salt? (5) NITRE {NIT}{RE}

13 Somewhat sweet natured, blows the top once in a while (4) ETNA [T]

15 Being dismissive of English bowling, perhaps (8) ELBOWING {E}{BOWLING*}

18 He was born on a ship (8) BLIGHTER {B}{LIGHTER}

19 Narrated long story (4) YARN [DD] (Addendum - (~yearn) - See comments)

22 Violent eruption, after it's removed-unusual (5) NOVEL ViOLENt*

24 Silent greeting, recently it has become a hobby (9) PHILATELY {P}{HI}{LATELY}

26 Followers cheer as temperature becomes cold (9) ENTOURAGE EN(-c+t)TOURAGE Clue leads to ENCOURAGE?

27 Reprimand as one found refuge in church (5) CHIDE {C{HID}E}

28 Removed, in fact it's allowed (7) DELETED {DE{LET}ED}

29 Brave woman, gets a new avatar (7) SHAWNEE {SH{A+NEW}*E}

DOWN

1   Record breaking genuine lift (6) REPEAL {R{EP}EAL}

2   Surrender in law, almost everyone gets exoneration (9) ACQUITTAL {AC{QUIT}T}{ALl}

3   Measure about a quarter, that's the goal (5) DREAM {DR{E}AM}

4   Free to include ten others, it's obvious who will win (2,7) NO CONTEST {NO COST} over {TEN}*

5   Time taken in genuine rise after that (5) LATER {RE{T}AL<=}

6   Famous writer, he is on China trail (9) HEMINGWAY {HE}{MING}{WAY}

7   Safe jump (5) VAULT [DD]

8   Opponents in a game meet up, show respect (6) ESTEEM {E}{S}{MEET<=}

14 Dealt with guns, dealt with drug (5,4) ANGEL DUST*

16 In the last four months, they're common-ships and European city folks (9) BERLINERS {BER}{LINERS}

17 European refusal wearing off (9) NORWEGIAN {NO}{WEARING*}

20 Want to finish after running one third in the middle (6) ?N?E?D (Addendum - INTEND {END}<=>{sprINTing} - See comments)

21 Coordinates with regular blue, once it becomes a solvent (6) XYLENE {XY}{bLuE+oNcE}

23 It's important to maintain temperature in the container (5) VITAL {VI{T}AL}

24 Material placed silently on top (5) PLAID {LAID}<=>{P}

25 Capital account, credit accepted initially (5) ACCRA {AC}{CR}{Ac...d}

Reference List

Woman = W, The in French = LE, Right = R, On = RE, English = E, Born = B, Silent = P, Temperature = T, Cold = C, Church = CE, Record = EP(Extended Play), Measure = DRAM, Quarter = E, Time = T, China = MING, Opponents = E,S, Coordinates = X,Y

No 14060, Monday 01 Jan 2024, Arden

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

Solution to 26A 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Cruel fact - good nobody is held responsible (3,2,3) ACT OF GOD*

5   Sign on Kerala borders showing old European currency (6) MARKKA {MARK}{Ke..lA}

10 One note, returned one flower (7) ANEMONE {AN}{ME<=}{ONE}

11 Call allowed, it's bit of a shock (7) RINGLET {RING}{LET}

12 A tax for a piece of land (5) ATOLL {A}{TOLL}

13 Small child and happiness - it's some kind of a bonding (9) CHELATION {CH}{ELATION}

14 Animals grab, devour - perhaps as appetizers (4,8) HORS DOEUVRES {HORS{DEVOUR*}ES

18 He sells vegetables and fish around various metros (12) COSTERMONGER {CO{METROS*}NGER}

21 Distant objects were worth very little (9) FARTHINGS {FAR}{THINGS}

23 Chief of a clan in part of Mumbai (5) THANE [DD]

24 After song have to take rest (3,4) LIE DOWN {LIED}{OWN}

25 One that goes around with gold tooth (7) ORBITER {OR}{BITER}

26 Deplorable time spent on the sidelines - hate it (6) D?T?S? (Addendum - DETEST {De...lE}{TimE}{SpenT} - See comments)

27 He sticks to the Arden puzzle (8) ADHERENT*

DOWN

1   Movie on reincarnation (6) AVATAR [DD]

2   Trader banks on capital turnover, gets a shock (6) TREMOR {Tr..eR}{ROME<=}

3   Pay for it John, with first two seats, can travel freely (9) FOOTLOOSE {FOOT}{LOO}{SEats}

4   Free throw, China gets in leaves a huge depression (8,6) OPENCAST MINING {OPEN}{CAST}{M{IN}ING}

6   Starts again, people never expected a sleep disorder (5) APNEA Acrostic

7   Ron liked special prayer in Jerusalem (3,5) KOL NIDRE*

8   Wow! Nehra got hundred! (8) ASTONISH {AS{TON}ISH} He is ASHISH and not ASISH

9   Utter madness, only one Excalibur, perhaps will keep a promise (4,2,4,4) TRUE TO ONES WORD {UTTER*}{O}{ONE}{SWORD}

15 Cannot drink, eat - it's inedible (9) UNEATABLE {UN{EAT}ABLE}

16 Rub in front as one came to blows (8) SCUFFLED {SCUFF}{LED}

17 Hungry? Entire force to take us up (8) ESURIENT {E{US<=}RIENT*}

19 Extremely trustful in case of a precautionary move (6) CASTLE {CAS{Tr...uL}E}

20 Search for a polecat (6) FERRET [DD]

22 "Fire from top to bottom", one shouts (5) HOOTS (-s)HOOT(+s)S

Reference List

Child = CH, Gold = OR, John = LOO, China = MING, Only = O