No 12975, Tuesday 30 Jun 2020, Dr. X

Solution to 20D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular/novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS
1   Elite police unit’s hesitation after one escapes in mist (4, 4) SWAT TEAM {S{WAiT}TEAM}
5   Expels eastern residents? Not acceptable (6) EGESTS {E}{GuESTS}
10 Scrutiny of South American country disregarding drug trade (7) PERUSAL {PERU}{SALe}
11 Lie low perhaps, finding large source of fuel (3, 4) OIL WELL  {LIE+LOW}*{L}
12 Some American plant (5) ERICA [T]

13 Come in! Go out with oriental vegetable (9) COURGETTE {COUR{GET}T}{E}

14 Girl in dire state, about to fall apart (12) DISINTEGRATE {G+IN+DIRE+STATE}*
18 Train workers in relevant special jobs (12) APPOINTMENTS {AP{POINT}{MEN}T}{S}
21 Tiger seen around national park (9) SERENGETI*
23 Finish a decanter containing spirit (5) SHADE [T]
24 Effective in most tense scene (7) TABLEAU {T{ABLE}AUt}
25 Rebellious man in attack around Germany, fanatic (7) DIEHARD {DI{HE<=}AR<=}{D}
26 Very angry, sore after English victory (4, 2) EVER SO {SORE}* after {E}{V}
27 Move to install program for trading (8) SWAPPING {SW{APP}ING}

DOWN
1   Soldier’s son, stylish, needs no introduction (6) SAPPER {S}{dAPPER}
2   Skilful lawyer rejected nonsense to catch essence of lie (6) ADROIT {DA<=}{RO{lIe}T}
3   Italian conductor in study breaks into extraordinary rendition heartily (9) TOSCANINI {TO{SCAN}IN*}{r..dIt..n}
4   Very favourable situation resulting from a job at a British tabloid (1, 5, 2, 3, 3) A PLACE IN THE SUN [DD]
6   Restrain university student inside political labour camp (5) GULAG {G{U}{L}AG}
7   Weird prince in faction, killing Khashoggi finally in attack (8) SPECTRAL {S{P}ECT}{RAiL}
8   Delivers jars coated with lustrous metal (8) SILVERED*
9   What guy finding lover’s husband at doorstep might do to disappear? (2, 3, 3, 6) GO OUT THE WINDOW [CD]
15 Turn in match with finest catches snatched primarily at cover (2, 2, 5) GO TO SLEEP {GO}{TO{Sn...d}{LEE}P}
16 Audiotape prepared in class (8) CASSETTE {CAS{SET}TE}
17 Bit of pus in infected ear lobe can be treated by surgery (8) OPERABLE {Pus} in {EAR+LOBE}*
19 Foremost nationalist leaves to take command in African country (6) MALAWI {MA{LAW}In}

20 Old sailor in a little skiff say, tackling trouble (3, 3) ?E? D?G (Addendum - SEA DOG {Sk..f}{E{ADO}G} - See comments)
22 Demands new contracts after firing director (5) NEEDS {N}{dEEDS}

Reference List
Eastern = E, Acceptable = U, Large = L, Drug = E, Oriental = E, Girl = G, Special = S, Germany = D, English = E, Victoery = V, Son = S, Lawyer = DA, University = U, Student = L, Prince = P, Nationalist = N, New = N, Director = D

Dr RKE's TalePiece

Ms. ERICA Summers picked up a CASSETTE of the film “A PLACE IN THE SUN” from the video rentals. Her live-in boyfriend, Jordan SAPPER, was a DIEHARD Liz Taylor fan and so the choice of this movie. He was working in the Boston Police Department’s SWAT TEAM and had promised to come home early after SWAPPING duty with a colleague.  She made his favorite minted COURGETTE salad and set it on a SILVERED tray for this special day- the end of one year of being together.  She was sure, on his part, he would pick up the Burnt Caramel, her favorite ice cream from TOSCANINI’s.

They had met while on a holiday at the SERENGETI last year and it was strange for two Bostonians to meet for the first time half way across the globe. They found each other’s company interesting and extended their holiday spending 3 more days at a resort near Lake MALAWI. On their return to Boston, it was initially a matter of pure convenience for them to share an apartment.  Living together, their fondness only grew but they did not want this beautiful relation to DISINTEGRATE and GO OUT THE WINDOW with the domestic demands of being married.  They had seen such fall-outs in EVER SO many instances with their friends that they felt it was ADROIT to keep away any thoughts of raising a family. But it NEEDS to be said that there was a SHADE of a secret longing to become committed. Did they GO TO SLEEP in their own rooms that night is not a matter with which you or I should be concerned. Suffice it for us to have witnessed a beautiful TABLEAU, one made with the vivid SPECTRAL colors of  human relations.