No 14762, Wednesday 08 Apr 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 20D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Pen pal is upset about American leader's bluntness (5,8) PLAIN SPEAKING {PEN+PAL+IS}* over {A} and {KING}

8   Calls topless escorts (5) RINGS bRINGS

9   Miss Japan picked up by champion in American club (9) BLACKJACK {LACK}{J} in {BACK}

11 Old-fashioned person, one giving spinal anaesthesia? (4,6) BACK NUMBER [C&DD]

12 Expert checking teen's latest skin condition (4) ACNE {AC{teeN}E}

14 Unknown tramp in base beginning to eat mushroom (7) EXPLODE {X}{PLOD} in {E}{Eat}

16 Emblem over sides of simple historical torch (7) CRESSET {CRES{Si..lE}T}

17 Write about old jerk showing favouritism (7) NEPOTIC {PEN<=}{O}{TIC}

19 Holy place in Muscat renovated around end of Ramadan (7) SANCTUM {MUSCAT}* over {r...aN} 

21 Mongrel beginning to bite, getting muzzle (4) CURB {CUR}{Bite}

22 Guests on island primarily getting loose motion (10) SUGGESTION {GUESTS+ON+I+Ge...g}*

25 Researcher analysed onset of cancer in testis (9) SCIENTIST {Ca...r+IN+TESTIS}*

26 American associate touring most prosperous city in Chile (5) ARICA {A}{A} over {RICh}

27 Raged at elderly doc outside hospital in a callous manner (4-9) COLD-HEARTEDLY {AT+ELDERLY+DOC}* over {H}

DOWN

2   Fancy place has new, special camera accessory (4,3) LENS CAP {PLACE}* over {N}S}

3   Complete details of a nudist streaking at opening on ground (3,3,4) INS AND OUTS {A+NUDIST+St...g+ON}*

4   Oily secretion from small whitehead essentially on butt (5) SEBUM {S}{w..tEh..d}{BUM}

5   Disappears from scene, vigorously cutting guard in retreat (9) EVANESCES {SCENE}* in {SAVE<=}

6   Xhaka, Kane welcoming former Brazilian footballer (4) KAKA [T]

7   Suggestions by star about tackling bad acne (7) NUANCES {SUN<=} over {ACNE*}

8   Turns head to stare as masseur kisses amorously (11) RUBBERNECKS {RUBBER}{NECKS}

10 Urge to steal opal, take money in jars (11) KLEPTOMANIA {OPAL+TAKE+M+IN}*

13 Serves gin cocktail, hosting a preview of art exhibition (10) VERNISSAGE {SERVES+GIN}* over {A}

15 Old cryptic clue is very elegant (9) EXCLUSIVE {EX}{CLUE+IS+V}*

18 Colonnade in dock essentially built by company (7) PORTICO {PORT}{buIlt}{CO}

20 Minor in contest, having endless energy (7) T?I?I?L (Addendum - TRIVIAL {TRI{VIm}AL} - see comments)

23 Reptile in bog at Oregon (5) GATOR [T]

24 Set up banquet in American city (4) ENID <=

Reference List

American = A, Japan = J, Unknown = X, Base = E, Old = O, Jerk = TIC, Island = I, Associate = A, Hospital = H, New = N, Special = S, Money = M

No 14761, Tuesday 07 Apr 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 23A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Stretched slowly at first and exercised (8) STRAINED {Sl...y}{TRAINED}

5   Heavenly body of model, extremely elegant (6) PLANET {PLAN}{El...nT}

10 Cold drink with favourite yeast cake (7) CRUMPET {C}{RUM}{PET}

11 Old Greek soldier's drunk in party, tottering essentially (7) HOPLITE {LIT} in {HOP}{t..tEr..g}

12 Visit halfway houses around Finnish city (5) LAHTI [T<=]

13 Mother resents untidy mess (5,4) MARES NEST {MA}{RESENTS}*

14 British dramatist performed hard role after drinking beer (6,6) HAROLD PINTER {HARD+ROLE}* over {PINT}

18 Ugh! Womaniser ruined first party at home (12) HOUSEWARMING*

21 Slyly beginning to reveal offences in the real lives of film actors (3-6) OFF-SCREEN {Re...l+OFFENCES}*

23 Put down mask after end of pandemic (5) C?I?E (Addendum - CHIDE {HIDE}<=>{p...iC} - See comments)

24 American poet of note in independent American university (7) FRENEAU {FRE{N}E}{A}{U}

25 Lights in rear of building site malfunctioned (7) IGNITES {IN+b...nG+SITE}*

26 Reeds around a waterway (3,3) RED SEA {REEDS}*{A}

27 Devilish fellow knocking out model in home (8) INFERNAL IN(-t+f)FERNAL

DOWN

1   Small boy going close to nurse (6) SUCKLE {S}{bUCKLE}

2   Thugs in drains ultimately get away (6) ROUGHS tROUGHS

3   Incriminate rogue and Latin American model involved in murder (9) IMPLICATE {IMP}{L}{IC{A}{T}E}

4   Impromptu poem about needless curbs (14) EXTEMPORANEOUS {EXT{POEM*}RANEOUS}

6   England's opener charges, cuts and runs (5) LOPES {LOP{En...h}S}

7   Comment about deli's latest cake and chocolate made with hazelnuts (8) NOISETTE {NO{delI}{SET}TE}

8   See 16

9   Depth of modernist Hindi novel (5,9) THIRD DIMENSION*

15 Clean hands in hotel after eating cake on vacation (9) INNOCENCE {INN}{O{CakE}NCE}

16 & 8 What camera crew will do to dream big (5,3,3,5) SHOOT FOR THE STARS [DD]

17 Where ball lifted vigorously over umpire's head will be? (8) OUTFIELD {O}{Um...e}{LIFTED*} Semi&lit

19 Stung in Tibet, injured by scorpion's tail (6) BITTEN {TIBET}*{s...oN}

20 Treacherous person's wife left to have peace of mind (6) WEASEL {W}{L} over {EASE}

22 Diabetic repents eating pancake (5) CREPE [T]

Reference List

Cold = C, Note = N, American = A, University = U, Fellow = F, Model = T, Small = S, Boy = B, Latin = L, Murder = ICE, Wife = W, Left = L