No 13791, Friday 17 Feb 2023, Afterdark

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS 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.

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   Say, water store closing early, backing away after a small struggle with henchmen (11) LIQUIDATORS {LIQUID} and {STORe}* after {A} Anno not clear

9   Imitates cast (4,3) ACTS OUT {CAST}* [RA]

10 Goal - when hungry, have meat without starters and become a gobbler (7) GLUTTON {GoaL}{mUTTON}

11 Our neighbour's home initially was at a swamp (5) MARSH {MARS}{Home}

12 Being on line not even strangely gratifying (9) ENNOBLING {BEING+ON+LiNe}

13 Before reading bad clue causes issue (5) ULCER {R}<=>{CLUE*}

15  Marine gains fare if transported (9) SEAFARING*

18 Debate on return gift; getting tricycle offline for a change (9) DIALECTIC {AID<=}{TrICyCLE}* Line = RY and then delete. Not fair.

21 A debauched man kidnaps girl, rascal (5) ROGUE {RO{G}UE}

22 Cries pathetically, losing energy with picture slightly marred inside in fight (9) SCRIMMAGE {CRIeS*}{iM{Ma...d}AGE} Something wrong here. How is I deleted?

24 Not getting Ola going west? Have  meat (5) BACON {NO}{CAB}<=

26 Sri Lanka caught in criminal usage of marine creature (3,4) SEA SLUG {SL} in {USAGE*}

27 Tape men celebrating a nick, say (3,4) PET NAME*

28 Thought of a leading batsman's second pull (11) ABSTRACTION {A}{Ba...n}{S}{TRACTION}

DOWN

1   Say fertiliser page has design (4,5) LEAF MOULD {LEAF}{MOULD}

2   Country's queen at a rally, in the front (5) QATAR {Q}{AT}{A}{Ra..y}

3   Arab club earlier got a locomotive (4,5) IRON HORSE {HORSE}<=>{IRON}

4   Unblemished woman sacked for being honest (7) ARTLESS wARTLESS

5   Fabric is, say, hand zari 50% (7) ORGANZA {ORGAN}{ZAri}

6   Explosions at square, unearthed indigenous bomb at the entrance (5) SQUIB {SQ}{Un...d}{In...s}{Bomb} Definition is incorrect

7   Remarkable ruler going after strait right at the beginning of Indonesia... (8) STRIKING {KING}<=>{ST}{R}{In...a}

8   ...secure weapons, take them back (4) SNUG<=

14 Swiss pilot is president (8) CHAIRMAN {CH}{AIRMAN}

16 Gymnastic Bill meeting Robert at a college (9) ACROBATIC {AC}{ROB}{AT}{1}{C}

17 Vegetable is raw means, chop at both ends and boil first placing inside (5,4) GREEN BEAN {GREEN}{mEANs} over {Boil}

19 Police weapon on rent, odd gears (4,3) TEAR GAS {TEAR}{GeArS}

20 More disturbing if I leave the plant (7) CREEPER CREEPiER

22 Infer there is small trouble firing the female (4) SUSS {S}{fUSS}

23 Pound a setter to go to the front and get a dessert (5) MELBA {LB}{A}<=>{ME}

25 Animal like cat originally has grain with independence (5) COATI {Cat}{OAT}{I}

Reference List

Reading = R, Line = RY, Girl = G, Energy = E, Sri Lanka = SL, Second = S, Queen = Q, Club = IRON(Golf), Woman = W, Square = SQ, Strait = ST, Right = R, Swiss = CH(LIcence plates), Bill = AC, College = C, Small = S, Female = F, Pound = LB, Independence = I

No 13790, Thursday 16 Feb 2023, Crescent

Solution to 4D 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.

Is Dr X seen in the grid for some reason :-)

ACROSS

7   An opening of air transport shrinks what was once a big distance in India (6) YOJANA {AN}{Air}{JOY}<=

8   Steep price put on spice (8) MACERATE {RATE}<=>{MACE}

9   Jet from home to Kentucky (4) INKY {IN}{KY}

10 A parts recall together with phone narrowing band of growth for Apple? (6,4) ANNUAL RING {ANNU{A}L}{RING}

11 Cast shout very loudly smothering tenor's remarkable performance (3,5) HOT STUFF {SHOUT}*{FF} over {T}

12 Cold concerning swimmers? (6) OFFISH {OF}{FISH}

14 Dull day other than in recess (4) DRAB {D}{BAR<=}

15 Nuts bringing in hard cash for Thailand (5) BAHTS {BA{H}TS}

16 About time to shut up (4) CAGE {C}{AGE}

18 Area with high risk inhibits American soldier in East Africa (6) ASKARI {A}{RISK*} over {A}

20 Draw straws for one slot? (4,4) CAST LOTS {SLOT}* [RA] Semi&lit

22 Norm to ultimately dig in here - in a mess? (6,4) DINING ROOM {NORM+tO+DIG+IN}* Semi&lit

24 Respectable groom (4) TIDY [DD]

25 Leave half-full, not even bagging what might be left (8) FURLOUGH }FUll}{R{L}OUGH}

26 Split brown stems of a palm (6) RATTAN {RAT}{TAN}

DOWN

1   Drain in France for shower (8) DOWNPOUR {DOWN}{POUR}

2   Jar has a bay set providing an upper chamber (5,5) RAJYA SABHA*

3   Musical piece from Texan, a duet (6) XANADU [T]

4   Plane figures in game for children inspired by ordinary gulls (8) ?C?A?O?S (Addendum - OCTAGONS {O}{C{TAG}ONS} - See comments))

5   One very unusual stunted tree (4) ARAR {A}{RARe}

6   Survives in twigs under leaves (6) STANDS [DD?] (Addendum - underSTANDS - See comments)

8   Say Reverend Spooner's old lady's family? (3,2,3,5) MAN OF THE CLOTH (~clan of the moth to man of the cloth)

13 Version of Italic that's spread lot further (10) FACILITATE {FA{ITALIC*}TE}

15 Highlight of round in match (5,3) BRING OUT {B{RING}OUT}

17 Inducing disheartened, sedate fans to become overambitious (3,5) GET IDEAS {In...nG+SEDATE}*

19 Start to see eye to eye, possibly over an error (4-2) SLIP-UP {See}{PUPIL<=}

21 Dismal doctor irritated nurses (6) SOMBRE {SO{MB}RE}

23 Crazy wanting son so badly (4) ILLY sILLY

Reference List

Home = IN, Very loudly = FF, Tenor = T, Day = D, Hard = H, About = C, Area = A, American = A, Left = L, For in French = POUR, Ordinary = O, Gulls = CONS, Son = S