No 13588, Tuesday 21 Jun 2022, Bruno

Artwork by Prasanna

Solution to 13D 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   Ask/encourage vicar to take off top coat (6) INVITE IN(-c+v)VITE

4   Store's nothing posh — has tacky, lacy, embroidered tank-tops (6) OUTLET {0}{U}{Ta..y}{Lacy}{Em...d}{Tank}

8   Tip of church has gold — attractive architectural feature (7) CORNICE {Ch...h}{OR}{NICE}

9   Sure Twix spread can be sandwiched? (7) BETWIXT {BE{TWIX}T}

11 Oil producer's uniform had notice to be displayed in speedo oddly (6,4) SESAME SEED {SAME}{SEE} in {SpEeDo}

12 Not odd for function to be cut short (4) EVEN EVENt

13 Currency of world body impounded by Shell (5) POUND {PO{UN}D}

14 Red, uncut rocks sold at a loss (8) UNDERCUT*

16 Paid money to fry dead flies with hint of elaichi (8) DEFRAYED {FRY+DEAD+El...i}*

18 Mug of German scientist — not #1 in Germany (5) STEIN einSTEIN

20 Boycott ate English vegetable (4) BEAN {B{E}AN}

21 Inmate gang stole artwork that was smuggled (10) CONTRABAND {CON}{ART*}{BAND}

23 Car company overcame struggle to advance (7) FORWARD {FOR{WAR}D}

24 Puerto Rico's gold taken at America at a certain rate (3,4) PRO RATA {PR}{OR}{AT}{A}

25 Order Scottish dress to put on Queen (6) KILTER {KILT}{ER}

26 Furniture of St. John returned to archives, finally (6) STOOLS {ST}{LOO<=}{a...eS}

DOWN

1   1-0 United? (2,3) IN ONE {1}{NONE}

2   State's valuation — excluding crude oil — sadly unsatisfactory (7)  VANUATU {VAlUATioN}*{U}

3   Check date and year represented by stock market event (6,3) TICKET DAY {TICK}{DATE+Y}*

5   Overturn Union and wait for judgment (5) UPEND {U}{PEND}

6   Somewhat slow GE — a rival's found a way to accelerate (3,4) LOW GEAR [T]

7   Extra dubious opportunity that can get you some money (3,6) TAX RETURN {EXTRA*}{TURN}

10 Unemployed communist worker staging dhurna often (9) REDUNDANT {RE{DhUrNa}D}{ANT}

13 Pizza at church office — paid by the slice? (9) P?E?E?O?K (Addendum - PIECEWORK {PIE}{CE}{WORK} - See comments)

15 Animal from river tasted er… awful (6,3) DESERT RAT {R+TASTED+ER}*

17 Regeneration of kidneys infected with tapeworm in the middle (7) RENEWAL {REN{tapEWorm}AL}

19 Ban half of poem — ban essay (7) EMBARGO {poEM}{BAR}{GO}

21 Abuse of drugs, finally overcome by medicine (5) CURSE {CUR{d..gS}E}

22 Attack overturned records (5) NOTES {SET ON}<=

Reference List

Vicar = V, Posh = U, Gold = OR, 1 in German = EIN, English = E, America = A, Queen = ER, John = LOO, Unsatisfactory = U, Year = Y, Union = U, Church = CE, River = R, Of Kidneys = RENAL