No 12682, Friday 19 Jul 2019, xChequer

RULES FOR POSTING ON FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only

The regular blog will replace the clues at 5 PM.

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

ACROSS
7    Excel's rule for mouse (6) SHINER {SHINE}{R}
8    Make fun, look a bit thick (6) UNFAIR {FUN*}{AIR}
10 Take note of winter wear stores offering discount (4,4) MARK DOWN {MARK}{DOWN} (Addendum - {MARK}{DO{W}{N} - See comments)
11 Counterfeit money buying time for radical (6) ETYMON {E{T}YMON*}
12 Pressure to reduce volume of boiling fat (5) LIPID LI(-v+p)PID
14 Technique of telling time with height displacement in mountain mapping (7) OROLOGY hOROLOGY
15 Mutton from sheep butchered for snap (4-2-3-6) SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT*
18 Gloss over lie in shady bar (7) SHEBEEN {SHE{BE}EN}
19 Virtue of some rituals (5) MERIT [T]
20 Denomination 2d (6) CHURCH [CD]
21 Shy if silent intrinsically (2,6) IN ITSELF*
23 Insensibility round places having gold (6) STUPOR {PUTS<=}{OR}
24 Bottle of fluid, one containing spirit (6) FLAGON {FL}{A{GO}N}

DOWN
1    Need duck slices especially for this boneless meat dish (8) ESCALLOP {ES{CALL}{0}P}

2    Base to stick incense in place of worship (4) KIRK {s..cK}{IRK}
3    Free ball pitched up goes to fence (6) DEVOID {O} in {DIVED<=}
4    Lobby, one arm to building (8) ANTEROOM*
5    A British boy born after a battle might describe me! (4,6) BABY BOOMER  {A+B+BOY+BORn}* over {ME} &lit  There's and extra N in the fodder See comments
6    Sanguine after changing sides, as a sitting duck would be? (6) BROODY B(-l+r)ROODY
9    Rain to hit coasts to save India melting away like this? (4,4,3) INTO THIN AIR {RAIN+TO+HIT}* over {IN}
13 Quietly usurped or otherwise, vain about wealth (5-5) PURSE-PROUD {P}{USURPED+OR}*
16 Head getting hot with ego surfacing in strip joint perhaps (8) FLESHPOT {TOP}{H}{SELF}<=
17 Gaining pounds in the middle can be irritating (8) NETTLING {NETT{L}ING}
18 Life force found in small stone or rock (6) SCHIST {S}{CHI}{ST}
19 The deep, cunning fellow not wanted as a rule (6) MAINLY {MAIN}{fLY}
22 Evidence of good in wrongdoing (4) SIGN {SI{G}N}

Reference List
Rule = R, Winter = W, Time = T, Pressure = P, Volume = V, Height = H, Gold = OR, One = AN, Duck = 0, India = IN, Quietly = P, Hot = H, Pounds = L, Small = S, Stone = ST, Fellow = F, Good = G

GRID

No 12681, Thursday 18 Jul 2019, xChequer

ACROSS
7    Meal without a vessel (6) LAUNCH {L{A}UNCH}
8    China's neighbour having power to remove Western expatriate tycoon (6) TAIPAN TAI(-w+p)PAN
10 Tailor set mark to cut opening in robe (8) VESTMENT {V{SET*}{M}ENT}
11 One beginning to close old fireplaces (6) INGLES (-s)INGLE(+s)S
12 Monsters go back, saint carries on (5) OGRES {GO<=}{RE}{S}
14 Mum can supply loads of fish sauce (4,3) NUOC MAM {MUM+CAN}* {O} Thanks to Google

15 Modern man reached space, a wonderful experience (7,3,5) PEACHES AND CREAM*
18 Get expert to heal (7) PROCURE {PRO}{CURE}
19 Extract using force with support (5) WREST {W}{REST}
20 Bit of finery, over a pound during season (6) FALLAL {A}{L}<= in {FALL}
21 Fancy heiress eating fine specimen of mackerel (4,4) SEER FISH {HEIRESS}* over {F}

23 Perhaps a patient batting partner (6) INMATE {IN}{MATE}
24 Instrument of Zulu heritage, timeless hit (6) ZITHER {Z}{HERITage}*

DOWN
1    Noble use questionable for a prig (8) BLUENOSE*
2    Barely reasonable (4) JUST [DD]
3    Current charge for admission (6) ACCESS {AC}{CESS}
4    Several staff doubt veteran (8) MANIFOLD {MAN}{IF}{OLD}
5    Ahead before true game unfolds on a sticky wicket (2,1,3,4) UP A GUM TREE {UP}{TRUE+GAME}*
6    Garment measure said to appear under hip (6) INSEAM {IN}{SEAM}(~seem) &lit
9    Put up with a kid in order to loosen up (5,2,4) STAND AT EASE {STAND}{A}{TEASE}
13 Deficiency in butter reportedly for Spooner's meat dish (4,2,4) RACK OF LAMB {(-l+r)RACK} {OF}{(r+l)LAMB} Ramb?
16 Identity of base character (8) EQUALITY {E}{QUALITY}
17 Skill and cunning is on test (8) ARTISTRY {ART}{IS}{TRY}
18 Limits to paper alliance in real-life operation (6) PRAXIS {PapeR}{AXIS}
19 Tiny, most nasty pest (6) WEEVIL {WEE}{VILe}

22 Name of northerly, stifling hot wind (4) FOHN {N}{OF<=} over {H}

Reference List
Power = P, Western = W, Mark = M, Saint = S, On = RE, Of = O, With = W, Pound = L, Fine = F, Zulu = Z, Base = E, Name = N, Hot = H

GRID