No 14412, Wednesday 19 Feb 2025, Vidwan

Solution to 23A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Two months in the last quarter? Concentrate! (6) DECOCT {DEC}{OCT}

4   Opportunities to head into ship (6) SCAPES {S{CAPE}S}

10 The vile Yemeni, casting malicious look (4,3) EVIL EYE [T]

11 Trained agent putting love behind with rose! (7) TUTORED {T(-o)UT(+o)O}{RED} 

12 Ballot for appointment of a military chief? (7,8) GENERAL ELECTION [C&DD]

13 Ordinary, innocuous spice, most ordered! (13) INCONSPICUOUS {INNOCUOUS+SPICe}*

14 You cannot keep sitting on this instruction! (8,5) STANDING ORDER [CD]

21 Played by all fat fans too! It is not a real competition! (7,8) FANTASY FOOTBALL*

22 Give up control over half of Gallic nation (7) REFRAIN {RE{FRAnce}IN}

23 Clues about a forgotten legend of dribble (7) S?I?T?E (Addendum - SPITTLE {TIPS<=}{TaLE} - See comments)

24 This Greek art could provide rationale (6) EOLIAN [CA] {EOLIAN+ART}* = {RATIONALE} 

25 See southern parts blast (6) DESCRY {DE{S}CRY}

DOWN

1   Basically to delve, remove earth, dig ground, excavate (6) DREDGE Acrostic &lit

2   Life energy's almost gone anyway, by opening of navel and roll of hair on nape of neck (7) CHIGNON {CHI}{GONe*}{Na..l}

3   Ice hero's animated greeting (7) CHEERIO*

5   Some delicate chunks of resin (7) CATECHU [T]

6   Rest inside Alexander's adversary's territory (7) PURLIEU {PUR{LIE}U}

7   Editor going in without chairs (6) SEDANS {S{ED}ANS}

8   Making fresh arrangement by correcting, taking time out for girl (13) RECLASSIFYING REC(-t+lass)LASSFYING

9   Hero's last manoeuvres involved King's decoy (8-5) STALKING-HORSE {HEROS+LAST}* over {KING}

15 Unfelt, universal, kind of musical (7) TUNEFUL {UNFELT+U}*

16 A raga in flowing river (7) NIAGARA*

17 Rope from Spooner's loo (7) RATLINE (latrine to ratline)

18 Tolerant English girl ignoring backside spasm (7) ELASTIC {A}{LASs}{TIC}

19 Disreputable girlfriend or Church? That's some weight! (6) GFORCE {GF}{OR}{CE} Why disreputable? Enu should be (1-5)

20 Inactive agent has cover (6) SLEEPY {S{LEE}PY}

Reference List

Ship = SS, Southern = S, Time = T, Universal = U, Girlfriend = GF, Church = CE, Cover = LEE

No 14411, Tuesday 18 Feb 2025, Vidwan

Solution to 9D 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Disconnect from most charming part of workplace (6) CUTOFF {CUTe}{OFFice}

4   Small, baby-like divers (6) SCUBAS {S}{CUB}{AS}

10 Mysterious figure from the Caribbean? (7,8) BERMUDA TRIANGLE [GK] It's not part of the Caribbean but it's part of North Atlantic Ocean

11 Kind of coal that is having right energy count (7) CALORIE {COAL*}{IE} over {R}

12 Women mostly are tired after killing a bird! (7) WARBLER {W}{ARe}{BLEaR}

13 One coming in for a test runs into division like 1/2 or 3/4 (6,8) SIMPLE FRACTION {S(-a+1)IMPLE}{F{R}ACTION}

17 Metaphor is one form of address? (6,2,6) FIGURE OF SPEECH {FIGURE}{OF}{SPEECH}

20 Regularly turns to liquor to open up! (7) UNTWINE {tUrNs+To}{WINE}

23 With smile, Commie returned to mill! (7) GRINDER {GRIN}{RED<=}

25 Part of a book - story about black hustler in much hollowed times (5,2,8) TABLE OF CONTENTS {TA{B}LE}{OF{CON}TEN}{TimeS}

26 Firm to redo works (6) ROOTED*

27 Work with nervy, wobbly dragon (6) WYVERN {W}{NERVY*}

DOWN

1   Solidly built beginner starts to idolise coach (5) CUBIC {CUB}{Id...e}{Co..h}

2   Exciting short period of time invested in farming (9) THRILLING {T{HR}ILLING}

3   Female parlours, magical crystals (9) FLUORSPAR {F}{PARLOURS*}

5   Position of a professor, one involved with housemaid (5) CHAIR {CHA{1}R}

6   Bold generation! Learner's winning all games in the set! (5) BAGEL {B}{AGE}{L}

7   Controlling, exuding power from high ground (8) STEERING {STEEp}{RING} Ground/Ring? See comments

8   English men in contest about floral arrangement (6) RACEME {RAC{E}{M}E}

9   One produces seed mostly without fuss (6) ?R?W?R (Addendum - GROWER {G{ROW}ERm} - See comments)

14 Attraction of a counterculture icon, most want to taste (9) CHEMISTRY {CHE}{MISs}{TRY}

15 Nice start to day! Nice start to occasion! (9) INCIDENCE {NICE+Day+NICE}*

16 Trembling, awful at times, say (8) AFLUTTER {AwFuL}{UTTER}

18 Neo is unique! (3-3) ONE-OFF {NEO}* [RA]

19 Employ beats in song (4,2) SIGN ON*

21 Unduly involved a British ban (5) TABOO {T{A}{B}OO}

22 Girl kept hostage by their enemies (5) IRENE [T]

24 Control over society? Japan is an example! (5) RESIN {RE{S}IN}

Reference List

Small = S, Right = R, Women = W, Runs = R, Black = B, Hustler = CON, Work = W, Female = F, Bold = B, Learner = L, Power = P, English = E, Men = M, British = B, Society = S