No 12190, Saturday 16 Dec 2017, Aspartame

Answer & anno of 25A left for a first time commenter till 10 A.M

Across

1. Participate in famous conference with communal editor having hypermobility (6-7) DOUBLE-JOINTED Anno pending {JOIN}{TED} & {JOINT}{ED} = {DOUBLE-JOINTED} See comments
8. Was designed to absorb ultimately (4) SWAB {WAS}*{absorB} &lit
9. Collect sapling for fish (10) LUMPSUCKER {LUMP}{SUCKER}

10. Extremely poor Indian city's retrograde agreement (3-3) PRE-NUP {PooR}{PUNE<=}
11. Celebrate Eid with liberal — head of unemployment (8) IDLENESS {EID+L*}{NESS}
12. Asps preened mangoes often to get supplement (9) APPENDAGE {AsPs PrEeNeD mAnGoEs}
14. Colour band (4) AQUA (DD)

15. Always value tip-offs (4) EVER {rEVER}
16. Spoiled engineer to hire one male assistant (6,3) OFFICE BOY {OFF}{I}{CE} {BOY}
20. Presentation on Oda's coup requires editing (8) DOCUSOAP {ODAS+COUP}*
21. Instigate former mate with sex appeal in church (6) EXCITE {EX}{C{IT}E}
23. Another hip surgery for high priest (10) HIEROPHANT {ANOTHER+HIP} New word for me.
24. Observes dame ultimately express agreement (4) EYES {damE}{YES}
25. Figure of speech used to describe other map? (5,8) M?X?D M?T?P?O? MIXED METAPHOR {OTHER MAP*} RA See comments

Down

1. Measured powder density in blob of water (7) DEWDROP {POWDER+D}*
2. Union managed to bring in boy belonging to the city (5) URBAN {U}{R{B}AN}
3. Supporter covering boxing — amazing play (4,3) LILY PAD {LI{PLAY*}D}
4. Springboard, say as a starting point (7-3,5) JUMPING-OFF PLACE (CD&D)
5. Some cousins ultimately are rude (6) INSULT (T)
6. Process to disburse cheque money (9) TECHNIQUE {CHEQUE+TIN}* Indirect anagram
7. River apes sent into high pressure zone (4-3) DEEP-SEA {DEE}{APES*}
13. Will's female caretaker? (9) EXECUTRIX (CD)
15. I-It’s minute, potentially self-serving (7) EGOTISM {EGO}{IT'S+M*}
17. About IT engineers being hired in a state where energy is low (7) INERTIA {IN{RE+IT*}A}
18. Our wheat is treated for hard compounds to last longer (7) OUTWEAR {OURWhEAT}*
19. Found Vagator piddock to be slow-moving (6) TORPID (T)
22. Move putting king at harm is reported by European (5) CZECH {~CHECK}

GRID

Reference List
Editor=Ed, Liberal=L, Head=Ness, Engineer=CE, One=I, Former mate=Ex, Sex appeal=It, Church=CE
Density=D, Union=U, Boy=B, Money=Tin, River=Dee, I=Ego, About=Re, Hard=H

Colour/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