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ACROSS
1 Nine-dimensional fantasy? (7)
5 In reference to a travel requirement, credit card has no backing (3-1-3)
9 Sticky substance found by apostle in cover sheet (9)
10 Bite a cut of lamb containing a piece of mint (5)
11 Sufficient help may hold it back (5)
12 Drone alit, i.e., crashed in disgrace (9)
13 Design style, mostly garish, originally involves as little as possible (zero, potentially) (5,8)
17 1932 play that clues the answer and location of another entry in this puzzle (6,2,5)
21 Government agent is South American man with a great self-image (9)
24 Attracted Romeo in early morning (5)
25 Attach to a horse (5)
26 What you might enjoy at breakfast: yodeling and skiing, perhaps? (5-4)
27 “Radioactive element is hot,” snarled westbound environmentalist (7)
28 A bunch of flowers and no video-game console? Yes (7)
DOWN
1 Irrational presentation of data about iodine is pathetic (8)
2 Clipped oath embraces hip-hop in support of English poet (4,5)
3 Inside trains, handle paints (7)
4 Old soul: “He damaged model home” (9)
5 Impressionist on the rise, making TV malevolence (5)
6 Irreligious California city held captive by evil curse (7)
7 Olivia, distraught after losing one instrument (5)
8 Chief of police interrupts excellent meal (6)
14 Impatiently gets into neat prose with revisions (5,4)
15 Artwork of famous Asian twin going mad (9)
16 Waits in the bleachers on the outskirts of Berkeley (6,2)
18 Unknown song to belt in African capital (7)
19 Charms football player with corn (7)
20 Pinko subverted government at last with traditional writer’s tool (6)
22 Howard to act in musical piece (5)
23 Health clubs overlooking male jerk (5)
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3452
ACROSS 1 T + REND 4 AMA(TEUR)S[s] (true anag.) 9 OP(TOM)ETRY (poetry anag.) 10 C + LIMB 11 L + INEN (anag.) 12 MI(SERAB)LE (bares rev.) 13 STATIST + ICS (anag.) 15 T + WIT[h] 17 hidden 19 PRI(OR + IT + I)ZE 22 CHIL(D + CAR)E 24 initial letters 25 LE(AS)E 26 PRAC + T + I + CAL (rev.) 27 SH(O)ELACE (Chelsea anag.) 28 anag.
DOWN 1 letter bank 2 anag. 3 DEM([g]ENT)IA (aimed rev.) 4 AL(TIME)TER 5 A(BY)SS 6 E(NCO)RE 7 “reign, beau” 8 letter bank 14 COOPER + ATE 16 DIS ASTER 18 SPINA (anag.) + CH 20 IN SECTS 21 AD HERE 23 A(LP)HA
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.