No 14416, Monday 24 Feb 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 1A 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

1   Topless show after drinking liquor in plot (8) E?G?N?E? (Addendum - ENGINEER {vENEER} over {GIN} - See comments)

5   Groom, tense around beginning of amorous encounter (6) COMBAT {COMB}{T} over {Am...s}

10 Upset as money used is fake (7) ASSUMED {AS+M+USED}*

11 Consumed starter of eggplant and peanut salad (5,2) EATEN UP {Eg...t}{PEANUT}*

12 Tangle with England's captain after tense victory (5) TWINE {En...d}<=>{T}{WIN}

13 Adopts country ways, change is surreal (9) RURALISES*

14 Remain calm, avoid curling tongs perhaps (3,4,1,4) NOT TURN A HAIR [DD]

18 Neat pointers to transform show (12) PRESENTATION*

21 Enjoyable party in excellent Japanese city (9) FUNABASHI {FUN}{A{BASH}1}

23 Plunge into water to perform exploit (5) DOUSE {DO}{USE}

24 Iran's foremost politician on English broadcast about supreme powers (7) IMPERIA {Iran}{MP}{E}{AIR<=}

25 Fancy pinkish tie (7) KINSHIP*

26 Tell class about the French revolution (6) RELATE {R{LE<=}ATE}

27 Popular cryptic setter's charm (8) INTEREST {IN}{SETTER*}

DOWN

1   Plays with different stance (6) ENACTS*

2   Bit of soda in energy drink giving gas (6) GOSSIP {Soda} in {GO}{SIP}

3   Stunned and shaken, opener wants bit of protection first (6,3) NUMBER ONE {NUMB}{OpENER*}

4   Experienced politician ends stalemate, artfully crushing resistance (5,9) ELDER STATESMAN {ENDS+STALEMATE}* over {R}

6   Some turned exceptional at converting base-8 number system (5) OCTAL [T<=]

7   Second male wearing coloured kerchief mostly is member of musical group (8) BANDSMAN {BAND{S}{M}ANa}

8   Secure sample to check special ornamental textile (8) TAPESTRY {TAPE}{TRY} over {S}

9   Scared witless by blunders, cheat in final round (6-8) TERROR-STRICKEN {ERRORS}{TRICK} in {NET<=}

15 Escape slyly via canoe after crossing delta (9) AVOIDANCE {VIA+CANOE}* over {D}

16 Prince, more unsettled after citizens finally become smarter (8) SPIFFIER {P}{IFFIER}<=>{c...nS}

17 Seabird over border around city of Ukraine (8) TERNOPIL {TERN}{O}{LIP<=}

19 Cheer up after receiving flush essentially in card game (6) EUCHRE {CHEER}* over {flUsh}

20 Tyrant in extremely desperate situation (6) DESPOT {De...tE}{SPOT}

22 Container in basement, gutted and charred (5) BURNT {Ba..{URN}..nT}

Reference List

Tense = T, Money = M, English = E, The in French = LE, Resistance = R, Second = S, Male = M, Special = S, Delta = D, Prince = P, Over = O