No 14284, Thursday 19 Sep 2024, Dr. X

Solution to 8A 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   Do a headstand perhaps and relax (3,4,4,2) PUT ONES FEET UP [DD]

8   Take wife on vacation (5) W?E?T (Addendum - WREST {W}{REST} - See comments)

9   Treat rash, possibly a fungus (9) EARTHSTAR*

11 Gaining power again with no erectile dysfunction (2-8) RE-ELECTION*

12 Gamble on boat (4) PUNT [DD]

14 Extremely shocked about American writer's arrest (7) SUSPEND {Su...eD} over {US}{PEN}

16 Fractured her toe, tip of coccyx and foot (7) TROCHEE {HER+TOE+Co...x}*

17 Made out with tipsy co-ed in Thailand (7) NOTICED {COED+IN+T}*

19 Love to take member around atomic plant (7) NIGELLA {NI{LEG<=}L}{A}

21 Relative's cow drops dead (4) AUINT dAUNT

22 Overwhelmed by drink, group swilling gin is making a mistake (8,2) SCREWING UP {S{CREW}{GIN*}UP}

25 Unfortunately, medal ain't covered by protective layer (9) LAMINATED*

26 Animal in front of dark cave (5) DHOLE {Dark}{HOLE}

27 Pivoted in instant to catch criminal around den (6,2,1,4) TURNED ON A DIME {TIME}* over {AROUND+DEN}*

DOWN

2   Former tennis champion in America is vain (7) USELESS {U{SELES}S}

3   Undecided, hence often anxious (2,3,5) ON THE FENCE* 

4   Former tennis champion is always on time (5) EVERT {EVER}{T}

5   Found to have exaggerated credentials essentially in past (9) FORGOTTEN {FORG{OTT}E}{c..eNt..s}

6   Genuine cocaine and heroin smuggled by alien (4) ECHT {E{C}{H}T}

7   Crazy nut on channel starting to holler and lie (7) UNTRUTH {NUT}*{RUT}{Ho...r}

8   Turned up naked and high, going around beach with shortcomings frankly revealed (5,3,3) WARTS AND ALL  {RAW<=}{T{SAND}ALL}

10 Angry people rant about ultimately corrupt person (6,5) ROTTEN APPLE {PEOPLE+RANT+a..uT}*

13 Lady downed gin recklessly, becoming garrulous (4-6) LONG-WINDED {L}{DOWNED+GIN}*

15 Badly addicted after consuming ecstasy, gets committed (9) DEDICATED {ADDICTED}* over {E}

18 Bird in mountain, mostly cuckoo (7) TINAMOU MOUNTAIn*

20 Extremely large and clean space in front of seat (7) LEGROOM {LargE}{GROOM}

23 Finish with high note? Done! (3,2) END ON {N+DONE}*

24 Captain on aircraft checks switches immediately (4) ANON [T<=]

Reference List

Wife = W, Thailand = T, Atomic = A, Dead = D, Time = T, Cocaine = C, Heroin = H, Alien = ET, Lady = L, Note = N