No 14080, Thursday 25 Jan 2024, Bruno

Solution to 24A 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   Style of some pathetic US tomboy (6) CUSTOM [T]

4   Holy man at America has prestige (6) STATUS {ST}{AT}{US{

8   Lower prices of apparel showing wide rip at the edges (7) DEPRESS {D{widE}{riP}RESS}

9   Before noon, turn around ship (7) STEAMER {STE{AM}ER}

11 Scientist's concerned with small trine finally appearing over Sagittarius (10) RESEARCHER {RE}{S}{t..nE}{ARCHER}

12 Find space computer infected with viruses at the core (4) HAUL {HA{virUses}L}

13 Cognac's flowing endlessly... dance! (5) CONGA COGNAc*

14 Sits oddly on passage's steps (8) STAIRWAY {SiTs}{AIRWAY}

16 Online video starting to take one at college on the sun's path (8) ECLIPTIC {E CLIP}{Take}{1}{C}

18 Hoard of money reported (5) CACHE (~cash)

20 Commanding officer's fine with mess officer? (4) COOK {CO}{OK}

21 Pandemic's silent - spreading through gym and church (10) PESTILENCE {PE}{SILENT*}{CE}

23 Ground's emergency room relocated to the back by coach (7) TRAINER T(-er)RAIN(+er)ER

24 Performance of middle violinist blocked in from the back (7) ?E?I?A? (Addendum - RECITAL {REC{violInist}TAL} - See comments)

25 Weapon put on the counter to obtain piece of gold (6) NUGGET {GUN<=}{GET}

26 Before end of June, 4 Ac finally goes bust (6) STATUE {junE}<=>{STATUs}

DOWN

1   Worm - one's tail is found at the bottom of food (5) CREPE CR(-e)EP(+e)E

2   Professional extracts last fillet from fish (7) SURGEON StURGEON

3   Religious old boy's assistant (9) OBSERVANT {OB}SERVANT}

5   Concentration of small bird's on rock-dove's upturned wings (5) TITER {TIT}{Ro...vE<=}

6   Professional at bar all year... often (7) TEACHER {T}{EACH}{yEaR}

7   Please cut out conjecture (9) SPECULATE*

10 Most of psychic's absurd intuitions lack contents - mainly trash: scientist (9) PHYSICIST {PSYCHIc}*{In...nS}{Tr..h}

13 City banks get lot in credit on 10D's instrument (9) CYCLOTRON {CitY}{C{LOT}R}{ON}

15 Professional artist put up church's lattice - city's left shocked! (9) ARCHITECT {RA<=}{CH}{laTTICE}*

17 Indication of fish's black liquid in front (7) INKLING {LING}<=>{INK}

19 Revolutionary spy agency's last agent - 10D's counterpart? (7) CHEMIST {CHE}{MI'S}{a..nT}

21 Plea often ignored by girl - that's irritating (5) PEEVE {PlEa}{EVE}

22 Box's extract from Socrates (5) CRATE [T]

Reference List

Holy man = ST, Concerned with = RE, Small = S, Space computer = HAL, Online = E, College = C, Gym = PE, Church = CE, Emergency room = ER, Old boy = OB, Bar = T, Credit = CR, Artist = RA, Church = CH, Revolutionary = CHE