No 14465, Tuesday 22 Apr 2025, Dr. X

Solution to 20D 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   Apricots aren't fresh in stall (13) PROCRASTINATE*

8   Nut in English club, enthralled by pot (5) PECAN {P{E}{C}AN}

9 & 14 What factory inspector might do to endure difficulties (2,7,3,4) GO THROUGH THE MILL [DD]

11 Endlessly intoxicated, rambling in state of agitation (10) EXCITATION INTOXICATEd*

12 Bit pale, lacking energy (4) WHIT WHITe

14 See 9

16 Fierce culmination of climate changes - not frozen over in winter (3-4) ICE-FREE {FIERCE+c...tE}*

17 Information on origin of epileptic convulsion relating to heredity (7) GENETIC {GEN}{Ep...c}{TIC}

19 Wild at first, son in band becomes mature (5,2) GROWS UP {GRO{Wild}{S}UP}

21 Starts to observe very unusually mutated egg cell (4) OVUM Acrostic

22 Fling with lady in control turned more delightful (10) HEAVENLIER {HEAVE}{REI{L}N<=}

25 Tireless nurse is out, frantically saving patient at centre (9) STRENUOUS {NURSE+iS+OUT}*

26 Located small improvised explosive device outside bar (5) SITED {S}{I{T}ED}

27 Making out with stunning redhead slyly when he's away (13) UNDERSTANDING {STUNNING+REDheAD}*

DOWN

2   Recover from cold, tucking into celery salad (7) RECYCLE {RE{C}YCLE*}

3   Checks firm involved in swindles (10) CONSTRICTS {CON{STRICT}S}

4   Try technique to master slang (5) ARGOT {AR{GO}T}

5   Loves wearing lace, making an impression on people? (9) TATTOOING {TATT{00}ING}

6   Charged about 500 for ancient aromatic ointment (4) NARD {RAN<=}{D}

7   Ego hurt easily? Becoming more resilient (7) TOUGHER*

8   Impressive in sack? Gossip is mostly true (11) PRESTIGIOUS {GOSSIP+Is+TRUE}*

10 Explosive in the tempo, built by revolutionary (3-8) HOT-TEMPERED {THE+TEMPO}*{RED}

13 Appreciated medley of disco genre (10) RECOGNISED*

15 Most contemptible person consuming ecstasy with songstress is lewd (9) LECHEROUS {L{E}{CHER}OUSe}

18 New running route close to town - it's free of charge (7) NEUTRON {N}{ROUTE*}{towN}

20 Bowled over by model stealing money bag in retreat (7) S?I?T?N (Addendum - SMITTEN {S{M}IT}{NET<=} - See comments)

23 Panorama in Kiev is tantalising (5) VISTA [T]

24 Con peddled ecstasy previously (4) ONCE {CON*}{E}

Reference List

English = E, Club = C, Energy = E, Information = GEN, Son = S, Lady = L, Small = S, Bar = T, Cold = C, Try = GO, 500 = D, Ecstasy = E, New = N, Money = M