No 14127, Wednesday 20 Mar 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 7A 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

7   Two sweethearts crushing Kelvin's son? Clowns (5) ?O?E? (Addendum - JOKES {JO}{K}{swEet}{S} - See comments)

8   Gave betel nuts and aubergine, maybe (9) VEGETABLE*

10 Excellent singer, almost in ecstasy (6) DIVINE {DIVa}{IN}{E}

11 Virus spreading at England borders, surmounted vaccine primarily and endured (8) SURVIVED {VIRUS}*{Va...e}{En...nD}

12 Withdrew from performance as role was subdued (8) DEPARTED {DE{PART}ED}

13 Ball takes edge to deviate (4) BEND {B}{END}

15 Always enters house by east or other side (7) REVERSE {R{EVER}S}{E}

17 Worrying after son's accommodation (7) SEATING {EATING}<=>{S}

20 Turn around for watering-hole (4) POOL<=

22 Responded to a news broadcast on leftist (8) ANSWERED {A+NEWS}*{RED}

25 Husband's relative in capital of Georgia gets nostalgic (8) HAUNTING {H}{AUNT}{IN}{Ge...a}

26 Country is a primarily egregious leviathan trampling right (6) ISRAEL {IS}{A}{Eg...s}{Le...n} over {R}

27 Observe that these days tax overwhelms the French and British (9) CELEBRATE {CE}{LE}{B}{RATE}

28 Cheat cleared contents of portable shelters (5) TENTS conTENTS

DOWN

1   Cops detailed rules on drug possession by people (9) POLICEMEN {POLICy}{E}{MEN}

2   That woman's seniority overcomes a beginner in team with legacy (8) HERITAGE {HER}{In}{Team}{AGE}

3   Basically someone erected a small idol depicting Eashwar at beach (7) SEASIDE Acrostic

4   Awful mistake, kept note outside with book on aisleway essentially (8) TERRIBLE {T{ERR}I}{B}{aisLEway}

5   State not in a mess (6) NATION*

6   Trolls out of shelves, not being quiet (5) ELVES shELVES

9   For starters, husband exhibits ardour, treats with warmth (4) HEAT Acrostic

14 Gains in surplus covered by states' 50% subsidy (9) INTERESTS {IN}{staTE{REST}S}

16 Say, workers pass current through fuses (8) SOLDIERS {SOLD{I}ERS}

18 Opinions of conservatives binding the man (8) THEORIES {T{HE}ORIES}

19 First neutralise arrogant husband, to be put away for being wayward (7) NAUGHTY {Ne...e}{hAUGHTY}

21 Jumps, misses ball and drops (6) OUNCES bOUNCES

23 Opening was primarily short and brilliant (4) SLIT {Sh..t}{LIT}

24 Nurses can access records, examine, sedate at the very outset (5) CARES Acrostic

Reference List

Sweetheart = JO, Kelvin = K, Son = S, Ecstasy = E, Ball = B, House = RS(Rajya Sabha), East = E,  Husband = H, Right = R, These days = CE, The in French = LE, British = B, Cheat = CON, Drug = E, Note = TI, Book = B, Quiet = SH, Fuses = SOLDERS, Conservatives = TORIES

No 14126, Tuesday 19 Mar 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 1D 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   Stenographer is tawdry, lacking substance with constant small talks primarily (6) TYPIST {Ta..rY}{PI}{S}{Ta..s}

4   Seek a point (6) ASPIRE {A}{SPIRE}

9   Press coverage ultimately was massive (4) HUGE {HUG}{c...gE}

10 Ancient Greek Engineer - his dream? Vacate Crete to rebuild (10) ARCHIMEDES {HIS+DREAM+CretE}*

11 Constant hail and rain at the borders leading to a tunnel (6) CAVERN {C}{AVE}{RaiN}

12 Rice came running for dessert (3,5) ICE CREAM*

13 Function outside college? Be sure really (9) SINCERELY {SIN{C}E}{RELY}

15 Tired judge and lawyer retiring to bed discarding first brief (5) JADED {J}{DA<=}{bED}

16 Clash in college union (5) CLINK {C}{LINK}

18 One very clueless, lacking line and class to pinch a type of figure (9) ISOSCELES {1}{SO}{CluELESs}*

22 Immature, green and soulless, partying behind university (8) UNDERAGE {GREEN+AnD}*<=>{U}

23 Indulge with commanding officer, guards and stranger (6) COSSET {CO}{SS}{ET}

25 Indian cricketers, say, use lobby in trouble (4,2,4) BOYS IN BLUE*

26 Aruna belligerently strangled the first victim (4) ABEL [T]

27 Leaders from Tamil Nadu irritated regarding antagonism, devolution, equality leading to outburst (6) TIRADE Acrostic

28 Withdraw ill-made decree (6) RECEDE*

DOWN

1   Tamil Nadu's basic problem is saving north Adyar inlet, one getting huge waves (7) T?U?A?I (Addendum - TSUNAMI {Ta...u}{SU{N}{Ad..r}M}{1} - See comments) 

2   Irritate Kamala Harris, say, on retirement before start of election (5) PEEVE {VEEP<=}{El...n}

3   Tool found at bridge near corner road (7) SPANNER {SPAN}{NE}{R}

5   Scrap metal one pushed forward (6) SLIVER S(-i)L(+i)IVER

6   Drunk with wines essentially, Brian & Ted are footloose (9) INEBRIATE {wINEs}{BRIAn}{TEd}

7   Lift given by new valet behind the last gate on East (7) ELEVATE {VALET}*<=>{gatE} on {E}

8   Small weaknesses lead to pains masking problem by scoundrels (8,5) ACHILLES HEELS {ACH{ILL}ES}{HEELS}

14 There's no answer to son of Cesar converting to a Catholic, say (9) CONFESSOR {SON+OF+CESaR}*

17 Rugby term coined by league in Spain revealed (4-3) LINE-OUT {L}{IN}{E}{OUT}

19 Release on screen (7) SECRETE [DD]

20 Once, say Centre often picked interpreter of scriptural text (7) EXEGETE {EX}{EG}{cEnTrE}

21 Be bold enough to capture North, some damage can be repaired (6) DARNED {DAR{N}E}{Da...e}

24 Fish found on coast (5) SKATE [DD]

Reference List

Constant = PI, Small = S, Constant = C, College = C, Judge = J, Line = L, Class = U, Guards = SS, Stranger = ET, Road = R, East = E, Answer = A, League = L, Spain = E, North = N