No 14232, Saturday 20 Jul 2024, Dr. X

ACROSS

1   One attending courses is changing career to secure work (8) RACEGOER {RACE{GO}ER*}

5   Long for right look to entice (6) APPEAL APPEA(-r+l)L

10 Leads to development of Mensa (5) MEANS*

11 Tesla creates a revolutionary station wagon (6,3) ESTATE CAR {T+CREATES+A}*

12 Tense singer cut by star's criticism (7-2) TALKING-TO {T}{AL{KING}TO}

13 Column on celebrity hosting present occasion (5) NONCE [T]

14 Grass is strong! Relief to release worries essentially (6) FESCUE {F}{rESCUE}

15 Starts to eat uncooked rice, gets loose motion (7) GESTURE {Eat+Un...d+Rice+GETS}*

18 Rodent turned alert, avoiding a snake (7) RATTLER {RAT}{aLERT*}

20 Excellent and elegant, guiding ball close to hole (6) CHOICE {CH{O}IC}{holE}

22 It's used for cleaning bachelor pad (5) BROOM {B}{ROOM}

24 Italian cake in container - crust of excellent quality (9) PANETTONE {PAN}{Ex...nT}{TONE}

25 Accepted endless distress in terrible old form of torture (9) BASTINADO {B{pASTINg}AD}{O} (Correction - {A}{STINg} in {BAD}{O} - See comments)

26 Separate from boy lacking concern (5) OTHER bOTHER

27 Showy displays in club inside old retreat (6) ECLATS {STAL{C}E<=}

28 Decided to take a little rest? Professor talked monotonously (6,2) DRONED ON {D{Rest}ONE}{DON}

DOWN

1   Distant voyage to Mercury conducted, revolutionary (6) REMOTE [T<=]

2   Most creepy and brutal perjuries in court (9) CRAWLIEST {C{RAW}{LIES}T}

3   One writing about famous people's quirky compulsions in essence (6,9) GOSSIP COLUMNIST {G{COMPULSIONS*}IST}

4   Starts to eloquently praise fancy green centrepiece for table (7) EPERGNE {El...y}{Pr...e}{GREEN*}

6   Take a firm decision and stop being chaser in one-legged tag (3,4,4,4) PUT ONES FOOT DOWN [DD]

7   Former prisoner is caught, nailed by segment of DNA (2-3) EX-CON {EX{C}ON}

8   Thief in new reel, slyly stealing fancy car (8) LARCENER {N+REEL}* over {CAR}*

9   Powerful number captivating teenybopper on vacation (6) STRONG {S{Te...eR}ONG}

16 He couldn't swim naked (9) UNCLOTHED*

17 Inquiry about lab blowing up is expected (8) PROBABLE {PROB{LAB*}E}

19 Rematch with athlete essentially chasing record-breaking streak (6) REPLAY {athLete}<=>{EP} in {RAY}

20 Woo endlessly, entertaining with sincerity (7) CANDOUR {C{AND}OURt}

21 Bird over top of building in city of Palestine (6) HEBRON {HE{Bu...g}RON}

23 Bird in Seoul, exotic (5) OUSEL*

Reference List

Long = L, Right = R, Tesla  T< Tense = T, Singer = ALTO, Strong = F, Bachelor = B, Old = O, Boy = B, Club = C, Court = CT, Caught = C, New = N, Record = EP(Extended Ply)