No 14050, Wednesday 20 Dec 2023, Dr. X

Solution to 12A 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Play with fool in tourney? No way! (3,2,4,4) NOT ON YOUR LIFE*

8   Curses a sot tottering outside hotel (5) OATHS {A+SOT}* over {H}

9   Engineer secures most fancy type of lens (4-5) WIDE-ANGLE {W{IDEa}ANGLE}

11 Clash with criminal chased by detective in plot (10) CONTRADICT {CON}{TRA{DI}CT}

12 Clubs missing in worthless stack (4) ?E?P (Addendum - HEAP cHEAP - See comments)

14 Royal duo largely abandoned venerated woman (3,4) OUR LADY {ROYAL+DUo}*

16 Conscript in river grabs floating structure (7) DRAFTEE {D{RAFT}EE}

17 Capitol riots, newsworthy (7) TOPICAL*

19 Rush to get one short dress and colourful African shirt (7) DASHIKI {DASH}{1}{KIt}

21 Husband ignored problem resulting in irritation (4) ITCH hITCH

22 Hold on, dear! Perhaps turn this to enter (4,6) DOOR HANDLE*

25 Catching girl about to steal son's phone (9) ENSNARING {AN{S}NE<=}{RING}

26 Smallest meadow beside street (5) LEAST {LEA}{ST}

27 Why seamstress could not sew? Stopped concentrating (4,3,6) LOST THE THREAD {DD}

DOWN

2   Trained for NEET more regularly (7) OFTENER*

3   Serve bacon salad in ceremony (10) OBSERVANCE*

4   Stunned after yacht initially swerved off course (5) YAWED {AWED}<=>{Ya..t}

5   Unsettled by wife leaving, dude winced painfully (9) UNDECIDED {DUDE+wINCED}*

6   Charge youth pocketing ring (4) LOAD {L{O}AD}

7   Improvisation by FBI agents involved in attack (7) FIGMENT {FI{G MEN}T}

8   Refashioned coronet with diamonds a few times (4,2,5) ONCE OR TWICE {CORONET}*{W}{ICE}

10 Need sex trip organised for former leader (2-9) EX-PRESIDENT*

13 American jazz pianist played after small whiskey, entertaining everyone (4,6) FATS WALLER {AFTER+S+W}* over {ALL}

15 Cry out primarily with hunger, getting slightly jaundiced (9) YELLOWISH {YELL}{Out}{WISH}

18 Famous painter's representation of spacious university released (7) PICASSO SPACIOuS*

20 Popular princess in American state (7) INDIANA {IN}{DIANA}

23 Good doctor, extremely honest (5) RIGHT {RIG}{Ho...sT}

24 Run diamonds and finesse (4) DART {D}{ART}

Reference List

Hotel = H, Clubs = C, Detective = DI, Husband = H, Son = S, Wife = W, FBI agents = G MEN, With = W, Small = S, Whiskey = W, Univesity = U, Popular = IN, Diamonds = D