No 14494, Monday 26 May 2025, Bruno

Solution to 8D 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

6   Spouse returned blame and then split (7) PARTNER {RAP<=}{RENT<=} Reversal indicator missing?

7   Rebellion allowed pair (7) COUPLET {COUP}{LET}

9   Our really lovely old place starts with a deck (5) ORLOP Acrostic

10 One from Guangzhou's unable to love - seen desperate (9) CANTONESE {CAN'T}{O}{SEEN*}

11 Royal assassin's first to be sent out to put someone in danger (7) IMPERIL IMPERIaL

13 Obscure way to remove top of disk (3-3) BLU-RAY {BLUR}{wAY}

15 Victor, one day, it could explode around area creating cancer causing stuff (13) RADIOACTIVITY {VICTOR+1+DAY+IT}* over {A}

19 Black ship's water tank (6) BOILER {B}{OILER}

20 Jealous of blended vino - English and American bottles (7) ENVIOUS {E}{VINO*}{US}

23 Journey to ends of capital in submarine for performance venue (5,4) STRIP CLUB {S{TRIP}{Ca...aL}UB}

24 Love to go in for a rough style (5) VOGUE V(-a=0)OGUE

26 Stockpile of unopened jam (7) RESERVE pRESERVE

27 Loose relative loses foot to snake (7) UNCLASP {UNCL(-e+asp)ASP}

DOWN

1   Test of morals? (4) ORAL [T]

2   Killer is up around new gym, at the centre of library (6) SNIPER {I{N}S<=}{PE}{libRary}

3   Lots of adult rock's contrived (9) TRUCKLOAD*

4   Often young violas lacking strings essentially are transported from former Serbia? (8) YUGOSLAV {YoUnG}{ViOLAS}*

5   Entire bird's anatomic heart is at medium speed (10) ALLEGRETTO {ALL}{EGRET}{anaTOmic}

6   Earnings for climbing into mine (6) PROFIT {P{FOR<=}IT}

7   Drawbacks of having no interest in stars (4) CONS iCONS

8   Make clothes colourful, even, and mostly positive (3-3) T?E-?Y? (Addendum - TIE-DYE {TIED}{YEs} - See comments)

12 Delay in revoking Artificial Intelligence paper - rebel gets lift (10) PLAGIARISE {LAG} in {AI}{P}<= and {RISE}

14 Metal's tasty on the outside, surprisingly bitter in the middle (9) YTTERBIUM {Y{BITTER*}UM}

16 Amateur experiment exploded, setter escaped (8) INEXPERT EXPERImeNT*

17 A boy - one taking drugs is an offender (6) ABUSER {A}{B}{USER}

18 Middle-East General, softly dozing (6) ASLEEP {eASt}{LEE}{P}

21 Musical direction: 5, 4... 1 (6) VIVACE {V}{IV}{ACE}

22 Gel rubbed on bottom of knee gives happiness (4) GLEE {GEL*}{kneE}

25 Prod animal with end of rod, squeezing top of tail (4) GOAD GOA(-t+d)D

Reference List

Area = A, Black = B, English = E, New = N, Gym = PE, Interest = I, Paper = P, Boy = B, Softly = P