No 14514, Wednesday 18 Jun 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 11A 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   Cracked the quadratic equations on vacation - not hard, it's a thing one learns to like (8,5) ACQUIRED TASTE {ThE+QUADRIATIC+Eq...nS}*

8   See 10 Down

9   Healing mild acne developing over face of inmate (9) MEDICINAL {MILD+ACNE}* over {In...e}

11 Drug, mostly dope in nice resort giving satisfaction (10) I?D?L?E?C? (Addendum - INDULGENCE - {DULl}{GEN} in {NICE}* - See comments)

12 Hit hard and counterattack finally after century (4) TONK {c...cK}<=>{TON}

14 Low, flat cloud of importance, embodying onset of rains (7) STRATUS {ST{Ra..s}ATUS}

16 Upset by one addict knocking back drink (2,1,4) IN A FLAP {1}{FAN<=}{LAP}

17 Checkmate in one move, crushed by European master making a comeback (7) IMPASSE {1} and {PASS} in {E}{M}<=

19 Warn about most vigorous aquatic animal (7) NARWHAL{WARN*}{HALe}

21 Rebellious boy tackling British aristocrats (4) NOBS {S{B}ON<=}

22 Fish in pub with bit of dark rum in a cocktail (10) BARRAMUNDI {BAR}{Dark+RUM+IN+A}

25 Frenzied commotion about a noisy rave (9) DIONYSIAN {DI{A+NOISY}*N} &lit

26 Moving quickly, striving hard for victory (5) HYING (-v+h)HYING

27 Sexy, stylish model in hut with a roughneck? Extremely wild speculation (4,2,3,4) SHOT IN THE DARK {S{HOT}{IN}{T}HED}{A}{Ro...cK}

DOWN

2   Sample of enriched dark cheese (7) CHEDDAR [T]

3   Saving American breaking skull, hip, chest - ultimately difficult job (6,4) UPHILL TASK {A} in {SKILL+HIP+c..sT}*

4   Emir excited about atomic plant (5) RAMIE {R{A}MIE*}

5   Removal of director for primarily shocking corruption (9) DEDUCTION (-s+d)DEDUCTION

6   Piece of popular composition to be played with a bow (4) ARCO [T] 

7   Effort to secure popular, fine wrapping material (7) TINFOIL {T{IN}{F}OIL}

8   Ponder about son turning nine, getting a little defiantly touchy (4-7) THIN-SKINNED {THIN{S}K}{NINE*}{De...y}

10 & 8A Enjoy dentist's job? Very difficult to do (4,7,5) LIKE PULLING TEETH [C&DD]

13 Expressed disapproval and ran quickly to arrest bum on heroin (10) HARRUMPHED {HARED} over {RUMP}{H}

15 Angular unit of acceleration described by a nerd, it's complicated (9) STERADIAN {A} in {A+NERD+ITS}*

18 Start to praise choir boy playing classical music of the bagpipe (7) PIBROCH {Pr...e}{CHOIR+B}*

20 Run, hike, exercise to become more sexually attractive (7) HUNKIER*

23 Farm vehicle overturned outside new hotel (5) RANCH {C{N}AR<=}{H}

24 Indian peasant in yard surrounded by rubbish (4) RYOT {R{Y}OT} Interesting origins of the word

Reference List

Hard = H, European = E, Master = M, British = B, Victory = V, Stylish = IN, Model = T, American = A, Atomic = A, Director = D, Popular = IN, Son = S, Heroin = H, Acceleration = A, Boy = B, New = N, Hotel = H, Yard = Y

No 14513, Tuesday 17 Jun 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 1A 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   Endless mischief after old politician picks up European model (8) E?E?P?A? (Addendum - EXEMPLAR {LARk}<=>{EX}{MP} over {E} - See comments) 

5   Variety of grass from Australia in retreat - fantastic, I say (6) ZOYSIA {OZ<=}{I+SAY}*

10 Worrywart wants electronic circuit breaker on site (7) FUSSPOT {FUSe}{SPOT}

11 Couple of associates touring research facility with graduate in American state (7) ALABAMA {A}{LAB}{A}{MA}

12 Concern about Vatican sculpture (5) CARVE {CAR{V}E}

13 A little smoke from cooking garlic oil (9) CIGARILLO*

14 Fall apart and put on weight around the hips (2,4-6) GO PEAR-SHAPED [DD]

18 Be utterly destroyed by disastrous megaflop in US (2,2,2,6) GO UP IN FLAMES*

21 Group takes hasty decision at first to make an emergency touchdown (5-4) CRASH-LAND {C{RASH}LAN}{De...n}

23 Bees in apiary circling around flowering plant (5) ANISE [T<=]

24 Critical in retreat after consuming dope (7) EXIGENT {EXI{GEN}T}

25 Old man in a lounge, surveying instrument (7) ALIDADE {A}{LI{DAD}E}

26 Unwillingness to speak in summit, nervous (6) MUTISM*

27 Finest spot outside hotel on vacation (8) SHEEREST {S{H}EE}{REST}

DOWN

1   Most weak, taking tonic finally for strength (6) EFFECT {EFFE{t..iC}Te}

2   Safeguard revolutionary plan to conserve nuclear energy (6) ENSURE {RUS{N}E<=}{E}

3   Sausage and spirit served on pier (9) PEPPERONI {PEP}{ON+PIER}*

4   Deceit shattered the official's firmly held belief (7,2,5)  ARTICLE OF FAITH {ART}{THE+OFFICIAL}*

6  Broadcasting unusual noir films, adult (2-3) ON-AIR {NOIR}* over {A}

7   Stores containing everything for light boats (8) SHALLOPS {SH{ALL}OPS}

8   Snake in Canada horribly crushes old caiman finally (8) ANACONDA {ANAC{O}{c...aN}DA*}

9   Go to eat grandma's extremely nice baked dish (7,3,4) BANGERS AND MASH {BASH} over {GRANDMAS+NicE}*

15 Heat item vigorously to obtain a valuable iron ore (9) HAEMATITE {HEAT+ITEM}* over {A}

16 Playing reggae, member drinks cold beverage (3,5) EGG CREAM {REGGAE}*{M} over {C}

17 Reviewed unusual catalogue featuring American painter of frescoes (8) MURALIST {RUM<=}{LIST} over {A}

19 Trapped by werewolf in a legendary climax (6) FINALE [T]

20 Bond in extremely close fight finally overwhelms guys (6) CEMENT {ClosE}{MEN}{f..hT}

22 Observes hot escort in retreat, cuddling director (5) HEEDS {H}{S{D}EE<=}

Reference List

European = E, Australia = OZ, Associate = A, Vatican = V, Dope = GEN, Hotel = H, Nuclear = N, Energy = E, Adult = A, Old = O, Member = M, Unusual = RUM, Cold = C, American = A, Hot = H, Director = D