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ACROSS

 1 Merlot, fish, and escargot: extremely honorific treatment (3,6)

 6 Elevate Rex (alt-right requirement) (5)

 9 Heavy rainfall before long (after Monday) (7)

10 Historic steps in Georgia decision to imprison head of Teamsters (7)

11 Interpreter’s mother eaten by fiery beast (8)

12 5 retreats in Buenos Aires and another South American capital (6)

14 Operator to talk back? Fine (4)

15 Laugh at tax collectors trimming back of president’s coiffure (9)

17 Miscreant rode? (9)

19 Mötley Crüe’s 1D (4)

21 In retrospect, felt tense grasping prickly plant (6)

22 Reduce speed, pulling in immediately at center of Aspen! (8)

24 Say, “To get old is ordinary” (7)

25 Heavenly body rejecting a drug (7)

26 Brilliant success when white powder and ecstasy make a comeback (5)

27 Covering that man at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., for example (9)

DOWN

 1 Medium in thin 19A (6)

 2 Outmoded rule in D&D: “Engaged in mission, harm not a legendary archer” (4,3,4,4)

 3 Expression of regret from a disheartened dude, packing shirt (7)

 4 Writer that reshaped most of extended sports event (10)

 5 How food might be ordered in African country (4)

 6 Green vine tangled round you and me (7)

 7 Victorian novelist and soldier sweeten tart, leaving last piece of pineapple until the end… (7,8)

 8 …subsequently penning enthusiastic review for poem (3,5)

13 Intend to return, entertaining tip from interesting old hags in island nation (10)

16 Note in opulent English ballet (4,4)

18 Fashionable man’s arrogance and desire after losing face (7)

19 Pastoral worker spilled chowder (7)

20 In atlas, we described natives of Scandinavia (6)

23 14 beginners in yoga exercise at home (4)

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3450

ACROSS 1 MA(L)T 5 CA(RNA)L 10 CHI + N 11 TOM + BS 12 2 defs. 13 alternate letters 14 P + REP + A + ID 16 RO + M (rev.) 18 hidden 20 STUD + Y 21 S + ALE 23 “purr” 27 anag. 29 AF + IRE 30 PE(R)T 31 QUI[e]T 32 V + ENT (anag.) 33 [h]SAMS + ON (rev.) 34 TAM + P

DOWN 1 MAT(C)H 2 A + MOUNT 3 [f]LAMB[e] 4 TA + BARD 5 CHAR + MS 6 anag. 7 N + AVAL (rev.) 8 anag. 9 [l]LORD (rev.) 15 CU + R(I)UM 17 “Eton” 19 E(RAT)TA (rev.) 20 2 defs. 22 hidden (&lit.) 24 U + RIS (rev.) 25 VET + O 26 U(PO)N 28 STE[a]M

Theme answers: MALTA, CHINA, DOVER, CUBA, ROME, SALEM, PERU, PERTH, QUITO, TAMPA. Circled letters: ATLAS AT LAST. Tinted squares, unjumbled: PUERTO RICO.