No 12002, Tuesday 09 May 2017, xChequer

ACROSS
7   One out of several, briefly, and singular, primarily (3,3) ODD MAN {ODD} {MANy}
8   Egoists frantic to be given love? That's life (2,2,4) SO IT GOES {O} in {EGOISTS}*
9   Instructive, splendid act, iconic gathering (8) DIDACTIC [T]
10 Peeps and runs between counters (6) CHIRPS {CHI{R}PS}
11 Addicts in emergency room aboard American ship (5) USERS {US{ER}S}
12 Partisan, a Parisian above board? (6) UNFAIR {UN}{FAIR}
14 Out to lunch? One pint's common, second dicey (3,6,6) NON COMPOS MENTIS {ONE+PINTS+COMMON+S}*  Not a fair clue to my mind. Some indication should have been given that it is a Latin phrase, as 'Out to lunch' itself is not a common usage for 'crazy'.
17 Fall back on drink to deliver simple speech (6) PIDGIN {DIP<=}{GIN}
18 Intently focused on bonding group of whales perhaps (5) PORED {PO{RE}D}
22 Occasionally nice to break into laughter for leader (6) HONCHO {NiCe} in {HO HO}
23 Left aside, too cut off (8) ISOLATED {L+ASIDE+TOo}* &lit
24 Dirty woman rants, let loose (8) SLATTERN*
25 Strip the fat partners, preventing escape (6) FLENSE {FLE{NS}E}

DOWN
1   Bill job in profession (9) ADMISSION {AD}{MISSION}
2   Weaken in minutes between 1 and 2 (6) IMPAIR {1}{M}{PAIR}
3   Round figures called lumps of tissue? (5) KNOTS [DD] (Correction (~noughts) - See comments)
4   Deny record, mail hacked (8) DISCLAIM {DISC}{MAIL*}
5   Resistance for current in sparking rectifier (8) IGNITRON IGNIT(-i+r)RON

6   Go missing at draw (5) TEMPT atTEMPT
8   Back at work, homeworking permitted — one shows alternate medical finding (6,7) SECOND OPINION {SECOND} {OP}{IN}{1}{ON}
13 Smart student exiting without travel permit? Quite the contrary, the other way round (4,5) VICE VERSA {ClEVER} in {VISA}
15 Around time of leaving university, want room (8) CAPACITY {CA}{PAuCITY}
16 Any modem configured to be ready for contingencies (3,5) MAD MONEY* New term for me
19 Discourses from old judges (6) ORATES {O}{RATES}
20 Loafs around with young ones (5) FOALS*
21 Tips as a courtesy from the top? (5) DOFFS [CD]

GRID