Answers and parsing guide for Dennis Grauel’s Occasional Cryptic 10 below!

ACROSS

1. REMATCH <once more, contend with> = REM (dreamy sleep) + AT + CH (church)

5. MANIPUR <Indian state> = *UP IN ARM[-s] (reforms abandon south)

9. SPLIT <M. Night Shyamalan film / setting in Croatia>

10. INDULGENT <Epicurean> = *TUNNEL DIG (byzantine)

11. *PU[-B]LIC[-DO]MAIN (date of birth absent) = MUNICIIPAL <concerning local government>

12. SCOUR <Thoroughly investigate> = SCOUR[-GE]

13. Snitched on (sang), [N]umber [exchanged] for [W]oman = SWITCHED-ON <engaged>

15. ←SMEG← (white-goods brand) = GEMS <small prizes>

17. *CUNT[-y] (boot-‘y’ from toppling cunty) = CNUT <old king>

18. CUSTOM MADE <Unique> = CUSTOM (unique cultural practice) + ←EDAM← (Dutch cheese)

21. UTTER <Perfect> = UT (University of Texas) + TER[-m]

22. “Peace meal” (Armistice banquet reportedly) = PIECEMEAL <in stages>

24. *LISAOMITS = ALTISSIMO <high notes on saxophone>

25. IMAMS <prayer leaders> = MA inside IMS (Instant Messages)

26. ENTITLE <Dignify> = EN (english) + TIT (songbird) + LE (French article)

27. “Deck aides” (helpers on ship grumbled) = DECADES <ages>

DOWN

1. RESUMES <Records of prior charges (jobs/responsibilities) attached (as in email) to headhunter>

2. MILAN <one city> = LA (another city) inside MIN (60 seconds)

3. TI + TI (identical [musical] notes) + CA + CA (Californian accountant) = TITCACA <lake>

4. *[UP EMPIRE THRIVES] = HEIR PRESUMPTIVE <likely successor>

5. MIDDLE OF THE ROAD <Alignment of streetcar / unlikely to cause controversy>

6. ←SS ELON← (Musk’s ship possibly capsized) = NO LESS <at the very least>

7. PHENOMENA <Perculiarities> = *[PHONE NAME]

8. RETORTS <Returns> = RE + TORTS (injuries)

14. IN (at home) + UK (Brit) + Ti (metal) + TUT (expression of disapproval) = INUKTITUT <language>

16. AMNESIAC <she forgets> = ←erotiCA IS EN MAsse←

17. *USEDCAR = CRUSADE <drive>

19. ENLISTS <Drafts> = EN LISTS (Nadine, Natalya, … etc)

20. *SPE[-c]TRE (caught dropping) = PRESET <setting that’s already written>

23. [E]xtraterrestrial [L]ab + ←DNA← = ELAND <plain animal>

ZINES!

( . •́_ʖ •̀ .)