No 14444, Friday 28 Mar 2025, Dr. X

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

ACROSS

1   Reduce bit of booze and grease, start to diet now perhaps (4,4) BOIL DOWN {Bo..e}{OIL}{Diet}{NOW*}

5   Chemically related compound is more volatile (6) ISOMER {IS}{MORE*}

10 Rock legend entertaining girls on base (7) STAGGER {STA{GG}{E}R}

11 Almost sure, love rustic shutters (7) LOUVRES {SURe+LOVE}*

12 Some require tutorial about reproductive organs (5) UTERI [T<=]

13 See old criminal carrying firearm in American city (2,7) EL SEGUNDO {SEE+OLD}* over {GUN}

14 & 25 Start immediately with enthusiasm, like one trying to jump safely out of moving bus will do? (3,3,6,7) HIT THE GROUND RUNNING [DD]

18 Husband breaks trust cavorting with blonde bombshells (12)  THUNDERBOLTS {H} in {TRUST+BLONDE}*

21 Desperately hope boxer finally wins title (9) OWNERSHIP {HOPE+b..eR+WINS}*

23 Approximately right, 100 arrested by spies (5) CIRCA {CI{R}{C}A}

24 Crazier and sillier after drinking whiskey heartily (7) INSANER {IN{whiSkey}ANER}

25 See 14

26 Girls swimming closer to see young salmon (6) GRILSE {GIRLS*}{seE}

27 Insisted on cooking a dessert (8) ASSERTED*

DOWN

1   Quarrel with American model in retro bar (4-2) BUST-UP {US}{T} in {PUB<=}

2   Portrayed male, one climbing over the hill (6) IMAGED {M}{1}<={AGED}

3   Impressive director showed no stress at premiere (9) DIGNIFIED {D}{sIGNIFIED}

4   Uproar about secrets discovered by commission in English county (14) WORCESTERSHIRE {ROW<=}{SECRETS*}{HIRE}

6   Swayed and crooned to captivate wife (5) SWUNG {S{W}UNG}

7   Sweet eaten by customer in guesthouse (8) MERINGUE [T]

8   Returns in pool, wearing costume without top (8) RESPONDS {dRES{POND}S}

9   What makes a cast with opera stars flip out (7,2,5) PLASTER OF PARIS*

15 Reserve nice complex in exotic Crete (9) RETICENCE {NICE}* in {CRETE}*

16 Ducking and blocking, zero for Pakistan's opener (8) STOOPING STO(+o-p)OPING

17 Executed outside academy with knife mostly in Chinese city (8) HUANGSHI {HU{A}NG}SHIv}

19 Creative person's eccentric traits (6) ARTIST*

20 Ranted about government in tatters (6) RAGGED {RAG{G}ED}

22 Hurries to catch glimpse of extraordinary mystic symbols (5) RUNES {RUN{Ex...y}S}

Reference List

Girl = G, Base = E, Husband = H, Right = R, 100 = C, Model = T, Male = M, Director = D, Wife = W, Academy = A, Government = G