No 13300, Thursday 15 Jul 2021, Afterdark

Solution to 25A 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   Embarrassed about mistake, failed (8) RELAPSED {RE{LAPSE}D}

5   Smart to buy nothing, keeping some earnings for best (6) CHOICE {CH{0}IC}{Ea...s}

9   Audacity to find fault with cookware (8) SAUCEPAN {SAUCE}{PAN}

10 Well, to own a ship is a problem (6) HASSLE {HA{SS}LE}

11 Cheapest accommodation in ship where teenagers party leaving function last (8) STEERAGE TEEnAGERS*

12 His leg broke in a vehicle (6) SLEIGH*

14 Jack jumps from ledge, gets tense about safety (10) PROTECTION PRO(-j+t)TECTION

18 No, staff’'s article has a point at times (3,3,4) NOW AND THEN {NO}{WAND}{THE}{N}

22 Head office at an American city earlier had work still (6) ANYHOW {HO}<{A}{NY} and {W}

23 One amongst us after sleep to help get bread (8) ZWIEBACK {W{1}E}<=>{Z} and {BACK}

24 After a sip of gin and rum, father in Chennai has brandy (6) GRAPPA {Gin}{Rum}{APPA}

25 One changes places with another on road to take speed test (5,3) ?R?A? R?N (Addendum - TRIAL RUN {TR(A<=>I}L}{RUN} - See comments )

26 Side for match? Essentially hopeless to begin with (6) ELEVEN {EVEN}<=>{hopELess}

27 Commercial earnings? Try to change sides cleverly (8) ADROITLY {AD}{ROI}{T(-r+l)LY}

DOWN

1   Formulating strategies to break gate and obstruct (6) RESIST STRategIES*

2   Narrow opening for romeo to jump over top (6) LOUVER {LO{U}VER} 

3   Author’s attempt at verse (6) POETRY {POE}{TRY}

4   Perhaps a divorcee’s great, composed, mature on the outside? To stretch the truth (10) EXAGGERATE {EX}{AG{GREAT*}E}

6   Nut & bolt for a wrestling hold (8) HEADLOCK {HEAD}{LOCK}

7   To enliven, have one pint sir, dance (2,6) IN SPIRIT {1}{PINT+SIR}*

8   The plane transports an animal (8) ELEPHANT*

13 Book that woman, low in honour in a place beyond reality (10) OTHERWORLD {OT}{HER}{WOR{L}D}

15 Mix up in specialist’s viewpoint (8) ENTANGLE {ENT}{ANGLE}

16 A plan, bold for something not played at home (4,4) AWAY GAME {A}{WAY}{GAME}

17 One, two... disconnect (8) UNCOUPLE {UN}{COUPLE}

19 An ice cream company at LA, centre of uptown (6) GELATO {GE}{LA}{upTOwn}

20 Usual nonsense — copy-cat (6) PARROT {PAR}{ROT}

21 Small family at New York is underfed (6) SKINNY {S}{KIN}{NY}

Reference List 

Ship = SS, Jack = J, Tense = T, Point = N, Work = W, Sleep = Z, Father in Tamil = APPA, Earnings = ROI, Top = U, Book = OT(Old Testament), Low = L, One = UN, Usual = PAR