No 13282, Thursday 24 Jun 2021, Dr. X

Solution to 26A 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.

ACROSS

1   In Caribbean island, leading actress ran around palm tree (8) CARNAUBA {C{Ac...s}{RAN*}UBA}

5   Disreputable character mostly cheated (6) SORDID {SORt}{DID}

10 Turning to steal from account, one gets caught, becomes penniless (7) BORACIC {ROB<=}{AC}{1}{C}

11 Creative people from Dire Straits (7) ARTISTS*

12 Girl is leaving to get hold of cotton thread (5) LISLE [T]

13 Minute amount of cocaine involved in misdeed at work by associate (9) SCINTILLA {S{C}IN}{TILL}{A}

14 By God! Bohr and men designed nuclear weapon (8,4) HYDROGEN BOMB {BY+GOD+BOHR+MEN}*

18 English frown about smooth Brexit finally getting doubly hard in last possible moment (8,4) ELEVENTH HOUR {E}{L{EVEN}{b...iT}{HH}OUR}

21 Risk by man crossing ultimately controversial border in Middle Eastern city (9) BETHLEHEM {BET}{c...aL}{HE}{HEM}

23 Anguish and love in Grammy award winning song (5) HELLO {HELL}{O}

24 Outcry about securing victory by bit of audacious trickery (7) EVASION {E{V}{Au...s}ION<=}

25 Wrong to consume heroin and crack in lively celebration (7) SHINDIG {S{H}IN}{DIG}

26 One steering boat in trouble, overwhelmed by a leaking hole (6) T?L?E? ()

27 Son worries about one nightmare essentially that’s most terrifying (8) SCARIEST {S}{CAR{1}ES}{n.hTm..e}

DOWN

1   Ruins lab coat, spilling a chemical element (6) COBALT {LAB+COaT}*

2   Most exceptional artist on vacation (6) RAREST {RA}{REST}

3   Dashing eyepatch, right for model (9) ARCHETYPE {EYEPATCH+R}*

4   Assists investigator finally in exposing illicit exchange of favours (14) BACKSCRATCHING {BACKS}{C{i...oR}ATCHING}

6   Not a good cottage perhaps for group of eight (5) OCTET COTTagE*

7   Lads running wild outside one cheap bar (8) DISALLOW {D{1}SAL*}{LOW}

8   Husband goes berserk on ecstasy in Asian capital (8) DUSHANBE {HUSBAND}*{E}

9   Where concertgoers might be accepting unpleasant consequences (6,3,5) FACING THE MUSIC [DD]

15 Stood up, suppressing cry of disgust with couple becoming more indecent (9) NAUGHTIER {NA{UGH}{TIE}R<=}

16 Most unconvincing charge by leading barrister in case (8) FEEBLEST{FEE}{Ba...r}{LEST}

17 Food item to munch with slice of bread in plaza (8) MEATBALL {M{EAT}{Br..d}ALL}

19 Small toboggan contains bit of dirt and slime (6) SLUDGE {S}{LU{Dirt}GE}

20 Disregard fashion model (6) FORGET {FORGE}{T}

22 Large mineral aggregate around one river in Europe (5) LOIRE {L}{O{1}RE}

Reference List

Account = AC, Caught = C, Cocaine = C, Associate = A, English = E, Frown = LOUR, Hard = H, Victory = V, Heroin = H, Son = S, Artist = RA, Right = R, Good = G, Ecstasy = E, Small = S, Model = T, Large = L

No 13281, Wednesday 23 Jun 2021, Dr. X

Solution to 24D 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.

ACROSS

1   Exhaust all resources to make the room secure? (5,4,4) SHOOT ONES BOLT [DD]

8   Backing curate to masterfully conduct a choral composition (5) MOTET [T<=]

9   Primarily boisterous saying, knocking back drink (7,2) BOTTOMS UP {Bo...s}{MOTTO<=}{SUP} &lit

11 Unruly engineers start to rant in workshop (10) REFRACTORY {RE}{F{Rant}ACTORY}

12 A kid going back for jelly (4) AGAR {A}{RAG<=}

14 Arresting many leaving all-night raves (7) HALTING {ALl+NIGHT}*

16 Girl cuddling rascal on ecstasy in university (7) ACADEMY {A{CAD}{E}MY}

17 Shall he also pick up herbal plant regarded as panacea? (7) ALLHEAL [T]

19 Found duke leaving to get hold of new cloak (7) ENVELOP {dE{N}VELOP}

21 Unpunctual son ignored reprimand (4) LATE sLATE

22 Preparing dosa and sambar for envoy (10) AMBASSADOR*

25 Anxiously argue about Republican lazily tackling onset of epidemic (9) WORRIEDLY {ROW<=}{R}{I{Ep...c}DLY}

26 Ball covered by dew becoming wet (5) MOIST {M{O}IST}

27 Praise clothing salesmen liberally for uprightness (13) BLAMELESSNESS {BL{SALESMEN*}ESS}

DOWN

2   The flu spreading around area is nasty (7) HATEFUL {THE+FLU}* over {A}

3   Very rebellious actress, single, going wild in bars (10) OSTRACISES {SO<=}{ACTRESS+1}*

4   Book penned by apprentice about revolution (5) ORBIT {TI{B}RO}<=

5   Remove old bug climbing in drain (9) EXTIRPATE {EX}{TIR{TAP<=}E}

6   Lout in raid about to steal ring (4) BOOR {RO{O}B<=}

7   Rising flatulence, tucking into street food (7) LASAGNE {LA{GAS<=}NE}

8   Sweet man ensnared by escort, despondent (11) MARSHMALLOW {MARSH{M}AL}{LOW}

10 Character gets tipsy at last on liquor in festive atmosphere (5,6) PARTY SPIRIT {PART}{t..sY}{SPIRIT}

13 Suffering after picking up undergarment with an arachnid (10) HARVESTMAN {HAR{VEST}M}{AN}

15 Anxious model, glad to get top prize (4,5) GOLD MEDAL*

18 Drunk, real smashed to be precise (7) LITERAL {LIT}{REAL*}

20 Young men and women drinking vodka heartily (7) LADDIES {LAD{voDka}IES}

23 Mule crossing extremely bumpy canyon (5) ABYSS {A{BumpY}SS}

24 Endless feud over money causing concern (4) ?I?M (Addendum - FIRM {RIFt<=}{M} - See comments)

Reference List

Drink = SUP, Engineers = RE, Many = L, Ecstasy = E, Duke = D, New = N, Son = S, Republican = R, Area = A, Book = B, Old = EX, Man = M, Money = M