The Hindu Crossword No. 2598 Solutions

Across
1 Farming implement found in park lake (6) PLOUGH (park=P, lake=LOUGH => P+LOUGH)
4 A drunken bender around eastern city up North (8) ABERDEEN (A=A, drunken bender=ana. BENDER=BERDEN, eastern=E=>A drunken bender around eastern = A+BERDE(E)N)
10 Mineral one added to drop of Scotch in tumbler, perhaps (9) ISINGLASS (one=I, drop of Scotch=S, in=IN, tumbler=GLASS => I+S_IN+GLASS)
11 Dowdy woman, female with strange past (5) FRUMP (female=F, RUMP=??)
12 Poet reportedly in a thin woollen vest (7) SPENCER (Dbl Defn.?)
14 Supervise throughout diocese (7) OVERSEE (throughout=OVER, diocese=SEE??)
16 March show (11) DEMOSNTRATE (Dbl Def)
17 French flag I unfurled in tense ending to episode (11) CLIFFHANGER (French flag I unfurled=ana. FRENCH+FLAG+I)
20 Clinical trial drug giving home unpleasant smell (7) PLACEBO (home=PLACE, unpleasant smell=BO(Body Odour) => PLACE+BO)
21 Seaman found with crack gets pardon (7) ABSOLVE (Seaman=AB, crack=SOLVE => AB+SOLVE)
22 Accompanied artist in African capital (5) ACCRA (Accompanied=ACC, artist=RA => ACC+RA)
24 To win only? Precisely (2,3,4) ON THE NOSE (Dbl Def)
26 Inn, shortly to be renovated, accommodating earl (8) HOSTELRY (shortly to be renovated=ana. SHORTLY=HOSTLRY, earl=E=>shortly to be renovated, accommodating earl = HOST(E)LRY)
27 Taking the most optimistic view of a famous footballer? About time (2,4) AT BEST (a=A, famous footballer=BEST, time=T=>a famous footballer? About time = A(T) BEST)

Down
1 Religious leader interferes over opening of temple (6) PRIEST (interferes=PRIES, opening of temple=1st letter of Temple=R => PRIES+T)
2 Passing remarks in cab, editor gets upset about it (6,5) OBITER DICTA (cab, editor gets upset= ana. CAB+EDITOR=OBER DICTA, it=IT=>cab, editor gets upset about it = OB(IT)ER DICTA)
3 Live performance in musical curtailed (3) GIG (musical=GIGUE=>musical curtailed = GIGUE-UE)
5 Social event in Lincs port causes international incident (6,3,5) BOSTON TEA PARTY (??)
6 Generals fire mostly crookedly in shooting galleries (5,6) RIFLE RANGES (Generals fire mostly=GENERALS FIRE-E=>Generals fire mostly crookedly = ana. GENERALS+FIR)
7 Bird employed by Science Museum (3) EMU (Container => SciencE MUsuem)
8 Short sleep taken by the French in European city (6) NAPLES (Short sleep=NAP, the French=LES => NAP+LES)
9 Bridesmaid on form at broadcast, on in sixty minutes (6,2,6) MATRON OF HONOUR (on form at broadcast=ana. ON+FORM+AT=MATRON OF, on=ON, sixty minutes=HOUR=>on in sixty minutes=H(ON)OUR)
13 Sympathise in clubs with old friend entertaining skinflint (11) COMMISERATE (clubs=C, old=O, friend=MATE, skinflint=MISER=>old friend entertaining skinflint = C+O+M(MISER)ATE)
15 The Queen in Israel, new one in country (6,5) SIERRA LEONe (The Queen=ER, Israel new=ana. ISLRAEL=SIRALE=>The Queen in Israel, new=ER in SIRALE=SI(ER)RALE, one=ONE => SIERRA LEONE)
18 Hack holding page with prominent story (6) SPLASH (Hack=SLASH, page=P=>Hack holding page = S(P)LASH)
19 Change sides in error (6) DEFECT (Dbl Def)
23 Cut price of lettuce (3) COS (Dbl Def)
25 Have a meal in Neath (3) EAT (Container => nEATh)