The Hindu Crossword 8222 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

The clues have taken a sudden dip from the high quality and entertainment value of last week's grids. Looks like we are back to the compiler of the week before last. Another week of torture? May He save our souls.

Across
1 Confess to having washed before going out (4,5) COME CLEAN (Cryptic defn. => having washed=CLEAN, going out=COME)
6 Make an impression in the Post Office (5) STAMP (Crytic Defn.)
9 Vietnam once served up heavenly food (5) ANNAM (heavenly food=MANNA=>served up heavenly food = reverse of MANNA)
10 Darling, pay attention to musical embellishment (5,4) GRACE NOTE (Darling=GRACE, pay attention to=NOTE)
11 Continued steadfastly by itself against reed destruction (10) PERSEVERED (by itself=PER SE, against=V(short for VERSUS), reed destruction=ana. REED=ERED=>by itself against reed destruction = PER+SE+V+ERED)
12 Right time to regret (4) TRUE (time=T, to regret=RUE => T+RUE)
14 Made to devise a new improved version (7) REVISED (ana. DEVISE+R -- don't even ask me where the R comes from)
15 Locked quarter reset anew by copper (7) TRESSED (quarter=S, reset=RESET=>quarter reset anew=ana. S+RESET=TRESSE, copper=D=>quarter reset anew by copper = TRESSE+D)
17 He is assigned on mail duties (7) POSTMAN (Direct)
19 An examination question that one cannot answer (7) FLOORED (?? -- wrong form of the word, should be FLOORER)
20 Chooses to work on the back path (4) OPTS (work=OP, path=ST=>back path=TS=>work on the back path = OP+TS)
22 Once favoured by women appreciating a good spread! (10) CRINOLINES (Direct)
25 The simpleton is French so finds a supporter (9) ASSISTANT (simpleton=ASS, is=IS, French=TANT?? -- Compiler, I thought TANT was French for AUNT. Would you be so kind as to specify what French object or person you're referring to in the future?)
26 A stupid apprentice gets into a cave (5) CALVE (apprentice=L, cave=CAVE=>apprentice gets into a cave = CA(L)VE)
27 Scores equal at seven (5) EVENS (ana. SEVEN -- the ana. ind. is invisible, as usual)
28 Inherited from forefathers (9) ANCESTRAL (Direct)

Down
1 Mash a dish of potatoes! (5) CHAMP (Double Defn.)
2 Five go for sermon arranged near trees in muddy swamps (9) MANGROVES (ana. V(five)+GA+SERMON -- we need GA instead of GO to get Mangroves)
3 Obstruct a few being unwieldy (10) CUMBERSOME (Obstruct=CUMBER, a few=SOME => CUMBER+SOME)
4 Highbrow with salmonella on the brain (7) EGGHEAD (salmonella=EGG, brain=HEAD=>salmonella on the brain = EGG+HEAD)
5 Most systematic and bovine creatures set at odds (7) NEATEST (bovine creatures=NEAT, set at odds=ana. SET=EST=>bovine creatures set at odds = NEAT+EST)
6 Cook in hot water — like the Irish? (4) STEW
7 It's early for our friendship to develop (5) AMOUR (It's early=AM, our=OUR=>It's early for our = AM+OUR)
8 Falsely claimed money again for having performed services (9) PRETENDED (money=P, again=RE, having performed sevices=TENDED => P+RE+TENDED)
13 Recalls dilemma of 150 electors (10) RECOLLECTS (150=CL, electors=ELECTORS=>dilemma of 150 electors = ana. CL+ELECTORS)
14 Unprincipled professional man cutting discount (9) REPROBATE (professional man=PRO, discount=REBATE=>professional man cutting discount = RE(PRO)BATE)
16 Sterling taken in by foreign killer (9) STRANGLER (Sterling=L, foreign=STRANGER=>Sterling taken in by foreign = STRAN(L)ER)
18 Ran in vain for creation of a blissful state (7) NIRVANA (ana. RAN+VAIN)
19 To be excessively enthusiastic may in fact be outlandish (7) FANATIC (ana. IN+FACT+A -- I haven't the slightest inkling where extra A comes from)
21 Experience discrimination (5) TASTE (Double Defn.)
23 Scam a magic formula (5) SPELL (Double Defn.)
24 In the pass, find venomous snakes of various kinds (4) ASPS (ana. PASS)