No 12204, Tuesday 02 Jan 2018, Incognito

Answer and annotation for 23A and 25D left for a first-time commenter till 10AM.

ACROSS
1   Going out around carnival, initially, is thrilling (8) EXCITING {EX{Ca...l}ITING}
5  Sailors lie back and descend at the end of a rope (6) ABSEIL {ABS}{LIE<=}
10 Private thoughts are carried by the main nerves (5) INNER [T]
11 He, who is gratified by pain, mistreats his mascot (9) MASOCHIST*
12 This emoticon was employed by the Circus, as mentioned in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (6) SMILEY [DD]

13 Huge caper after a performance (8) GIGANTIC {GIG}{ANTIC}
15 Fuse carbon and hydrogen in a country (5) CHINA {C}{H}{IN}{A}

17 City where mother backs by a heel (9) ROTTERDAM {ROTTER}{DAM}
19 Small person's missile (9) MINUTEMAN {MINUTE}{MAN}

20 Master, after losing son, becomes more gentle (5) TAMER MAsTER*
21 Indian bread covered with minty chutney (not new) becomes a contaminant (8) IMPURITY {MInTY}* over {PURI}
23 Vegetable that is found in long bones? (6) ?A?R?? (Addendum - MARROW [DD] - See comments)
27 Break apart around old woman's inn at last and get an evening drink (9) SUNDOWNER {SUND{O}{W}{inN}ER}
28 My Spanish-French friend is in American city (5) MIAMI {MI}{AMI}
29 Latest tenancy charges around London district (6) RECENT {R{EC}ENT}
30 Loss of courage — cause/result of frost-bite? (4,4) COLD FEET [DD]

DOWN
1   Some sort of spice results in great stories (5) EPICS*
2   Stipulation can modify behaviour (9) CONDITION [DD]
3   Number of musketeers hiding in undergrowth/reeds (5) THREE [T]
4   One, for example, has no hesitation to make you senseless (4) NUMB NUMBer
6   Bangalore University artist dives back into chest to get some capital (9) BUCHAREST {BU}{CH{RA<=}EST}
7   Be as a team in East Street (5) EXIST {E}{XI}{ST}
8   A person who arrives after time can be a mere clot (9) LATECOMER*
9   Helping donkey is troublesome at first in Germany (9) ASSISTING {ASS}{IS}{Tr...e}{IN}{G}
14 Making about a thousand and burning (9) CREMATING {CRE{M}ATING}
15 Russian officer found Marco misbehaving and hugging young lady (9) COMMISSAR {COM{MISS}AR*}
16 PM's time for siesta (9) AFTERNOON [CD]
18 Hesitate, with anger, and charge (9) DEMURRAGE {DEMUR}{RAGE}
22 The button to press when dad is not totally pleasant (5) PANIC {PA}{NICe} Semi &lit
24 Targeted at All India medical education director at first (5) AIMED Acrostic
25 Audibly useless area near the end of the spine (5) ??I?T (Addendum - WAIST (~waste) - See comments)
26 So, Latin ogre went back (4) ERGO <=

GRID

Bhargav's Tale

Good AFTERNOON Ladies and Gentlemen,

The RECENT news brings us EXCITING times ahead!!
Yes, it is the Jumbo Crossword that will be clued by you all.
Hey just one MINUTE MAN. No PANIC.
The only CONDITION is that only two or THREE clues will be given to those who wish to send in their entries.
No COLD FEET there. Newbies who want to hone their skills are most welcome.
It is AIMED for release on the THCC Anniversary. Don't be a LATECOMER!!
Our COMMISSAR?  Oh no. Our Colonel is eagerly awaiting your entries. Frame your
Clues, have your SUNDOWNER and send them with a SMILEY!!!

No 12203, Monday 01 Jan 2018, Incognito

HAPPY NEW YEAR

ACROSS

7   Bird's love for Yugoslav leader (4) TITO {TIT}{O}

8   Extraordinary US gunman's got one! It's not funny ... (9) UNAMUSING {US+GUNMAN}* over {1}
10 Decipher: There's fish in the river (6) DECODE {DE{COD}E}
11 Plants leaders of negligent politicians in rigged juries (8) JUNIPERS {Ne...t}{Po...s} in {JURIES}*

12 See ... hippo's destroyed water conveying equipment (8) HOSEPIPE*
14 Perhaps, Kashmir's Fifth Avenue? (6) VALLEY {V}{ALLEY}
16 Leaves bits of rope (7) STRANDS [DD]
18 Forcibly rushes in and destroys stirrup (7) IRRUPTS*
21 Judge's pulse is throbbing — Get some cocktails (6) JULEPS {J}{PULSE*}

23 Rishi is flying in Andhra Pradesh's planes (8) AIRSHIPS {A{RISHI*}P'S}
25 Army scrambled to get American woman's cannabis, perhaps (4,4) MARY JANE {ARMY}* {JANE}
27 Medicine man's indoor court (6) DOCTOR {DO{CT}OR}
29 Count, emeer and aunt dance (9) ENUMERATE {EMEER+AUNT}*
30 South American capital invested in Dabolim airport (4) LIMA [T]

DOWN
1   Balti foe can be a saviour in the main (8) LIFEBOAT*
2   That thing omitted from a Cuban cocktail — it gives magical power (4) MOJO MOJitO
3   Wild cat's left rheumatic, fractured arm bones (6) HUMERI RHEUMatIc*
4   Prohibit Joseph's musical instruments (7) BANJOES {BAN}{JOES}

5   Pastry sales? (8) TURNOVER [DD]
6   Deficiency as a result of loss of end of leg, for instance, adjacent to first phalanx (4) LIMP {LIMb}{Ph...x}
9   14 devour greedily (5) GORGE [DD]
13 Rub out article in Irish-Gaelic language (5) ERASE {ER{A}SE}
15 Lord Waugh releases woman, giving a chuckle (5) LAUGH {L}{wAUGH}
17 Aghast, Lord Ismay edited, to some extent (8) DISMAYED [T]
19 Troops wandered around noon capturing Austrian beer-bars serving from the cask (8) TAPROOMS {M} and {Au...n} in {TROOPS}* M for Noon? See comments
20 What the liquor dealer had to pass to get into Lincoln's Inn? (3,4) BAR EXAM [C&DD]
22 Utilisation of American gel endlessly (5) USAGE {USA}{GEl}
24 I heard — looked up in the book ... see ... inlet is just south of the Sinai peninsula (3,3) RED SEA (~read){RED} {SEA}(~see)
26 Thou hast the right ... it's thine (4) YOUR {YOU}{R}
28 Young cow's leg portion (4) CALF [DD]

GRID

Bhargav's Tale

A crazy cruciverbalist on New Year Eve,

In his dream saw

MARY JANE wearing a Mary Jane smoking a Mary Jane!!

Saw men in the VALLEY running with HOSEPIPEs to put out the fire on the RED SEA!!

Flying AIRSHIPS to DECODE the event!!

LIMPing people getting out of LIFEBOATS!

Persons in the party still enjoying their JULEPS and MOJO in the TAPROOMS.

DOCTOR TITO getting ready for the BAR EXAM!!

And  finally  saw this message in the crossword

HAPPY NU YEAR!!!