No 14410, Monday 17 Feb 2025, Crescent

Solution to 17A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Brilliant English fellow thrice inspiring university lecturer (9) EFFULGENT {E}{F}{F}{GENT} over {U}{L}

9   Dash from cycling path (4) ELAN (+e)ELAN(-e)

10 Perhaps I irritated dog on couch (9,6) CROSSWORD SETTER {CROSS}{SETTER} over {WORD}

12 Unknown men gatecrashing ask her daughter out (4,5) DARK HORSE {OR} in {ASK+HER+D}*

13 Otter aimlessly circling some marshy land (5) TERAI [T]

14 Slippery character turns round giving a suggestive look (7) LEERING {EEL<=}{RING}

17 Time limits to adjust lines of course bearing (7) S?A?U?E (Addendum - STATURE {S{T}{Ad..sT}URE} - See comments)

19 Shade of green over lead (5) OLIVE {O}{LIVE}

21 Fool mostly cut off remains without money (3,2,4) OUT OF CASH {FOOl+CUT}*{ASH}

24 Swank is essentially sarky conceit, anyway, to be difficult to accept (5,2,4,4) STICK IN ONES CRAW {SWANK+IS+saRky+CONCEIT}*

25 Rabbit's tail docked by son (4) SCUT {CUT}<=>{S}

26 Test by touching leg around point with a cast (9) PALPATION {LAP<=}{POINT+A}*

DOWN

1   Ice collapsed, running minor slips (12) PECCADILLOES*

2   Simpleton lacking answer, old chaps damn sure (2,6) OF COURSE {OaF}{C{O}URSE}

3   Chiefly schist, partly sandstone deposit (6) FLYSCH [T]

4   Hollow entertainment in dreary diversion (6) DETOUR {D{En...nT}OUR}

5   Got dress designed for dull people (8) STODGERS*

6   When one's close to fire, best run to a window (8) FENESTRA {F(-i+e)ENEST}{R}{A} 

7   One snatching another from highest point on hill (6) CAPTOR {CAP}{TOR}

11 Attack banks in sweet spot of holy ground to obtain sufficient money (5,3,4) RAISE THE WIND {RAID} over {IN+SWEET+Holy}*

15 Kites ace shot make a camel spin? (3-5) ICE-SKATE*

16 Adults joke about wearing G-strings (5-3) GROWN-UPS {G}{ROW{PUN<=}S}

18 Fearless crook in a fraud (8) UNAFRAID*

20 Arctic seals duck after one died in folly (6) IDIOCY {I{O}CY}<=>{1}{D}

22 Can king without Government support spend a penny? (6) TINKLE {TIN}{K}{LEg}

23 Hundreds of thousands providing returns of revenue (6) FISCAL {LACS}{IF}<=

Reference List

Fellow = F, University = U, Lecturer = L, Men = OR, Daughter = D, Time = T, Over = O, Son = S, Answer = A, Old = O, Run = R, Died = D, King = K, Government = G