No 13303, Monday 19 Jul 2021, Dr. X

Solution to 1A 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   Caught with opium and cocaine at party quickly (4,4) C?O-C?O? (Addendum - CHOP CHOP {C}{HOP}{C}HOP} - See comments)

5   Melodious performance by two singers enthrals many at college (6) DULCET {DU{L}{C}ET}

10 Beat scoundrel, one leaving niece shattered (7) CADENCE {CAD}{NiECE*}

11 Orchid petals given by the French boy meeting girl (7) LABELLA {LA}{B}{ELLA}

12 Bird’s resting place in base over head of statue (5) ROOST {ROO{St...e}T}

13 Doglike marsupial in chalet, wandering around yard (9) THYLACINE {IN+CHALET}* over {Y}

14 Movement of migrants ultimately let pandemic spread (12) DISPLACEMENT {m...tS+LET+PANDEMIC}*

18 Spectacular cooking, eating hot treat happily (12) BREATHTAKING {B{H+TREAT}*AKING}

21 New Time edition features essentially amazing Italian composer (9) DONIZETTI {T+EDITION+amaZing}*

23 Confusion after snorting drug, getting more miserable (5) BLUER {BLU{E}R}

24 Saw English force arresting brute (7) EPIGRAM {E}{PIG}RAM}

25 Tigers easily consuming large cartilaginous tissue in meat (7) GRISTLE {GRIST{L}E*}

26 Design in brown patterned cloth (6) TARTAN {T{ART}AN}

27 Scrap given by junk dealers kept in empty flat (8) FRAGMENT {Fla{RAGMEN}T}

DOWN

1   Diamonds in set, cut for Roman statesman (6) CICERO {C{ICE}ROp}

2   Unusual boy, very likely to succeed (4-2) ODDS-ON {ODD}{SON}

3   Check fraud by firm (9) CONSTRICT {CON}{STRICT}

4   How an arthritic patient might climb stairs gradually (3,4,2,1,4) ONE STEP AT A TIME [DD]

6   Medium brazenly welcomes ghost (5) UMBRA [T]

7   Back hurt during stunt? Get a splint (8) CALLIPER {CA{ILL<=}PER}

8   Attempt to hide an undergarment in farce (8) TRAVESTY {TR{A}{VEST}Y}

9   Artiste devouring awfully big snack is Kishore Kumar, perhaps (8,6) PLAYBACK SINGER  {PLAY{BIG+SNACK}*ER}

15 Honouring ace coming up to receive new fancy jewellery (9) ENNOBLING {O{N}NE<=}{BLING}

16 Old criminal nursing desire to be law-abiding (8) OBEDIENT {O}{BE{DIE}NT}

17 More tiny bananas seen in row (8) TEENSIER {T{SEEN}*IER}

19 Model in launch, on ecstasy and speed (6) HURTLE {HUR{T}L}{E}

20 Taser used to tackle perpetrator finally in capture (6) ARREST {AR{p...oR}EST*}

22 Thread made from fine gold by associate in Nigerian city (5) ZARIA {ZARI}{A}

Reference List

Caught = C, Cocaine = C, Many = L, College = L, The in French = LA< Boy = B, Yard = Y, Hot = H, Time = T, Drug = E, English = E, Large = L, New = N, Old = O, Model = M, Ecstasy = E, Associate = A