No 12563, Saturday 02 March 2019, Dr. X

Across

1. Result of monstrous asteroids striking globe? (8) DISASTER {ASTERoIDS*} &lit
5. Panics when wife breaks chairs (6) SWEATS {S{W}EATS}
10. Small role by star got Oscar (5) CAMEO {CAME}{O}
11. Run down a girl after dispute in end (9) DISPARAGE {DI{SPAR}{A}{G}E}
12. They corruptly net posts, admitting kin essentially (9) NEPOTISTS {NET+POSTS} around{kIn*}
13. English royal house beginning to decline, crushed by revolutionary defeat (5) TUDOR {ROUT<=} around {Decline}
14. Opening batter ultimately secures duck, gets more miserable (6) POORER {PO{O}RE}{batteR}
15. Player disheartened by duck for opener (7) PRELUDE {PlayeR}{ELUDE}
18. Ship’s crew in revolving lounge, killing time (7) STEAMER {tS{TEAM}ER<=}
20. Intensely passionate and fired up securing victory (6) FERVID {FIRED*} around {V}
22. World poverty killing many (5) EARTH {dEARTH}
24. They drink alcohol freely and move in vehicles (9) CAROUSERS {CA{ROUSE}RS}
25. Lament about cash destroyed in fire (9) DISCHARGE {DI{CASH*}RGE}
26. Director replacing liberal supporter of the arts relented (5) EASED {EASE(-l+D)}
27. Approaches and rushes around in an excited state (3-3) RUN-UPS  {RUN{UP}S}
28. Largely agitated after wife fights (8) WRESTLES {W}{RESTLESs}

Down

1. Pure cocaine and ecstasy concealed in pit (6) DECENT {DE{C}{E}NT}
2. Electronic chart in promenade that’s used for signalling (9) SEMAPHORE {S{E}{MAP}HORE}
3. What a cowboy might do to // speak recklessly without thinking? (5,4,3,3) SHOOT FROM THE HIP (DD)
4. Consumer in topless drunken spree around America (3,4) END USER {bEND {US}ER}
6. Be dominant in union // but shelter inferior members? (4,3,8) WEAR THE TROUSERS (D&CD) 7. Drama about man becoming woman gets Oscar, say (5) AWARD {DRA(-m+W)A*}
8. Old soldiers, largely exhausted, protecting injured mare (8) SPEARMEN {SPE{MARE*}Nt}
9. Runs out, pursues rogue but tires out (4,2) USES UP {PUrSUES*}
16. Common worry — Rupee beginning to slide in value (9) UNIVERSAL {R+Slide+IN+VALUE*}
17. Climber races frantically to conquer tip (8) ASCENDER {RACES*} around {END}
19. Rose steals heart almost in minutes (6) RECORD {RE{CORe}D}
20. Hold back ring in panic (7)  FORBEAR {F{ORB}EAR}
21. Whispers by assistants around front of stage (6) ASIDES {A{Stage}IDES}
23. Brake contains special sticky stuff (5) RESIN {RE{S}IN}

Reference List

Globe=O, Wife=W, Oscar=O, Girl=G, Duck=O, Time=T, Victory=V, Many=D (Five hundred), Director=D, Liberal=L
Cocaine=C, Ecstasy=E, Electronic=E, America=US, Man=M, Woman=W, Runs=R, Rupee=R, Special=S

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  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

Bhargav's Talepiece

As the ROISTER was coming to an end Paul sat sipping his ORANGEADE. AS USUAL he REALISED that he could not again BREAK NEW GROUND.

Little did he know that the person who ABHORRED him would send a HATE MAIL and he would have to UNDERGO some punishment and not allowed to go SCOT FREE.

Later in the evening the students and almost all the people on this part of the EARTH were talking about the SWEATS during training and the results thereof.

He did not SHOOT FROM THE HIP. He shot in the air. Citizens are waiting to see what AWARD he would get. But he himself will never dream of any award.

We know his spirit.

GRID