No 12054, Saturday 08 Jul 2017, xChequer

An easier pangram from xChequer, 

ACROSS

7 Dam, second in that place, but not the last (6) MOTHER {MO}{THERe}
8 Disposed of soiled paper and flushed (8) PREPARED {PAPER*}{RED}
9 Small framed opening device, clear in the middle, a rooftop feature (8) SKYLIGHT {S{KeY}LIGHT}
10 Climbs // ladders (6) SCALES (DD)
11 Proof ferocious bears come forward (5) OFFER (T)
12 Exercise a good deal before game (6) PELOTA {PE}{LOT}{A} Google to the rescue

14 Wearing dinner jackets, hosts tee off; singular to wear fancy clothes (5,2,3,5)  DRESS TO THE NINES {DINNER}* around {HOSTS+TEE*} and {S}
17 Green belt in Peru (6) UNRIPE {IN+PERU*}
18 Bribe assuming politician is not on the level? (5) BUMPY {BU{MP}Y}
22 Bird skips nut, ground full of beans (6) JAUNTY {JA{NUT*}Y}
23 Western Buddhist school backing royal right to abdicate — this gives a better perspective (5-3) PINCE-NEZ {PrINCE}-{ZEN<=}
24 Done in error, originally missed during review for head of state (8) GOVERNOR {OVER}  in {wRONG<=}
25 Old man takes advantage of breaks (6) PAUSES {PA}{USES}

DOWN

1 Oil, potentially for war, took over surplus crude (4,2,3) WORK OF ART {FOR+WAR+TOOK-O}*
2 Transport vehicles gutted for delay (6) SHELVE {VEHicLES}*
3 Yanks bother society (5) DRAGS {DRAG}{S}
4 Strand in a quiet, alternatively secluded spot (8) SEASHORE {SE{A}{SH}{OR}E}
5 Ironical, a Marine bars seafood (8) CALAMARI (T)

6 Fed the system, say, // and prepared to get plastered (5) KEYED (DD)
8 Puppet or pet? An ambiguous document in script (3,3,2,5) PUT PEN TO PAPER {PUPPET+OR+PET+AN}*
13 Regius Professor (Law) parries main counter thrown (9) PERPLEXED {PE{RP}{LEX}ED<=}
15 Blue outfit worn by Norway's queen (8) SQUANDER {SQUA{N}D}{ER}
16 Difficult to take a run, biding time (8) TARRYING {T{A}{R}RYING}
19 Duly melting at edges, blown fuse comes in handy (6) USEFUL {dU{FUSE*}Ly}
20 Silver lining prevailed? Load of bull, possibly (5) WAGON {W{AG}ON}
21 Revolutions in rotation of crops (5) SNIPS {SPINS<=}

 Reference list  

Second=Mo, Exercise=PE, Singular=S, Politician=MP, Right=R
Over=O, Society=S, Quiet=P, Alternatively=Or, Regius Professor=RP, Law=Lex, Main=Deep, Norway=N, Queen=ER, Run=R, Silver=Ag

Color/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

GRID