No 14536, Monday 14 Jul 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 25A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Angrily pursues groper in lobby (8,5) PRESSURE GROUP*

8   Rastafarian, primarily gaga about style of dance music (5) RAGGA {Ra...n}{GAGA}*

9  Setting aside whiskey, brewed soup somehow and became less drunk (7,2) SOBERED UP {BREwED+SOUP}*

11 Revealed throttling worker close to seedy bar in deprived area (10) SHANTYTOWN {SH{ANT}{s..dY}{T}OWN}

12 Sweetheart's a little lustful after back massage (4) GIRL {Lu...l}<+>{RIG}

14 Sick critic taking drug is suffering from jaundice (7) ICTERIC {ICT{E}RIC*}

16 Fruits in field eaten by boys regularly (7) ORANGES {bO{RANGE}yS}

17 Question in test about angular momentum and mass (7) PROBLEM {PROB{L}E}{M}

19 Turn tight, knocking back wine (7) MEANDER {MEAN}{RED<=}

21 Guy removing top is fit (4) ABLE cABLE

22 Shooter's target is set with beast getting close, finally drawn in by trick (4,6) CLAY PIGEON {C{LAY}{PIG}{c..sE}ON}

25 Fascinated by sign above fourth doorway? (9) E?T?A?C?D (Addendum ENTRANCED {ENTRANCE D} - See comments)

26 Model is almost nude in river (5) INDUS {IS+NUDe}*

27 Sending to infirmary in ship, isolating at sea (13) HOSPITALISING*

DOWN

2   Reigning prince killed in the club (7) REGNANT pREGNANT

3   Dirty secret about last leader of Nigeria (10) SLATTERNLY {S{LATTER}{Ni...a}LY}

4   Loose nuts holding framework, essentially not yet fixed (5) UNSET {UNS{f..mEw..k}T*}

5   Space below new elevated dock (5,4) ELBOW ROOM {BELOW*}{MOOR<=}

6   Exceptional opening of restaurant for fine food (4) RARE (+r-f)RARE

7   Weakness is constant, taking oxygen for malady finally (7) UNDOING UND(-y+o)OING

8   Composed neat, precise words of farewell (4,2,5) REST IN PEACE*

10 What guitarist might do to use influence (4,7) PULL STRINGS [DD]

13 Disasters start to increase as climate changes (10) CALAMATIES {In...e+AS+CLIMATE}*

15 Company member permitted to tackle president involved with others in law-breaking (9) COMPLICIT {CO}{M}{LICIT} over {P}

18 Very perverse loony grabbing model close to studio (4,3) ONLY TOO {LOONY}* over {T}{s...iO}

20 Director on vacation needs hash in German city (7) DRESDEN {Di...oR}{NEEDS}*

23 Entertaining retro party, endlessly shout and sing with rapidly changing pitch (5) YODEL {Y{DO<=}ELl}

24 Saw a spider trapping insect (4) WASP [T]

Reference List

Whiskey = W, Bar = T, Drug = E, Angular momentum = L, Mass = M, Prince = P, Fine = F, Company = CO, member = M, President = P, Model = T, Party = DO

Special, Sunday 13 Jul 2025, WCCC-2025 Prelim 2, S. Sreenivasan(Avtaar)

Three answers per commenter till 1 PM (Annotations compulsory) 

Please submit all your answers in one comment.  

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

Enjoy.