No 10601A, Wednesday 24 Oct 12, Sankalak

Wonder why the 'A' is there with the number?

ACROSS

1   - Caught agitating the surface and causing damage (9) - CRIPPLING {C}{RIPPLING}

5   - Currency note that I have found in France (5) - FIVER {F{I'VE}R}

8   - Fruit dish that makes for an order neat and tidy (5-3) - APPLE-PIE [DD]

9   - Energy with a twitch of the stomach (6) - PEPTIC {PEP}{TIC}

11 - Changes, losing head, a sign (5) - ARIES vARIES

12 - Drug that works deep in her treatment (9) - EPHEDRINE*

13 - Cosmetic for a large number, one acceptable (6) - LOTION {LOT}{1}{ON}

14 - Shape a friend with proper etiquette (8) - FORMALLY {FORM}{ALLY}

16 - Craft, one that is misused for a ploy (8) - ARTIFICE {CRAFT+1+IE}*

18 - Be able to pay for a fine brand of car (6) - AFFORD {A}{F}{FORD}

22 - Leaving Delaware unsullied carrying painting (9) - DEPARTURE {DE}{P{ART}URE}

23 - Sounds of laughter heard as press agency is excluded from petitions (5)  - PEALS apPEALS

24 - Expressing disapproval as might a crowd for a bad performance (6) - BOOING [CD]

25 - Praying desk designed by Euripides, unfinished (4-4) - PRIE-DIEU EURIPIDEs

26- A gentle push for group leader in bare surroundings (5) - NUDGE {NUD{G}E}

27- Area drained by river can grab people starting tourism (9) - CATCHMENT {CATCH}{MEN}{T}

DOWN

1   - Russian-French artist’s demand to accommodate old woman (7) - CHAGALL {C{HAG}ALL}

2   - Mark left by a grim PR in travels (7) - IMPRINT [T]

3   - Screen cops free first in net perhaps for a media meeting (5,10) - PRESS CONFERENCE {SCREEN+COPS+FREE+N}*

4   - I ask for those people at that same place (6) - IBIDEM {I}{BID}{EM}

5   - A basic right — to utter nonsense? Not really (7,2,6) - FREEDOM OF SPEECH [CD]

6   - Criticism by the three in villa the French vacated (7) - VITRIOL {VI{TRIO}Lla}

7   - Result of vitamin D deficiency ultimately changing, making one unsteady (7) - RICKETY {RICKET(-s+y)Y}

10 - Fire a bullet containing nothing (5) - SHOOT {SH{O}OT}

15 - Clean up before operation (5) - SCRUB [CD]

16 - He famously drew birds that abound oddly around university (7) - AUDUBON {AUD{U}BON*}

17 - Pity, HOD developing infectious disease (7) - TYPHOID*

19 - Have a view about a large kind of glass (7) - OPALINE {OP{A}{L}INE}

20 - Girl’s sudden blow causes revulsion (7) - DISGUST {DI'S}{GUST}

21 - You and I run from a fungal infection in plant (3,3) - WET ROT {WE}{T ROT}

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