No 14495, Tuesday 27 May 2025, Avtaar

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

1   Bar conducting probe? Disgraceful! (6) INDIGN {IN{DIG}N}

5   Every other breach damages entrances (8) BECHARMS {BrEaCh}{HARMS}

9   Long, endless, singular, rambling conclusion to speech (8) LANGUISH {SINGULAr}*{s...cH}

10 Young girl taking time filming Germany's interior sections (6) MIDSTS {MIS{T}S} over {D}

11 1960s rock song by Roger, I played outside bank (7,5) ELEANOR RIGBY {BY+ROGER+I}* over {LEAN}

13 Along with a lasso, a shikar's leader left (4) ALSO {A}{LasSO}

14 Husband taken in by inflexible, tasteless, vacuous notions (8) THOUGHTS {T{H}OUGH}{Ta...eS}

17 How to get a team member in office? (8) ?O?K?A?E (Addendum - WORKMATE {TEAM}* [RA] - See comments)

18 Land is flat, without fencing and extremely backward (4) LAOS {fLAt}{SO<=}

20 Growth of leaves in newly fenced corners after cutting cedar's root (12) FRONDESCENCE {FENCED+CORNErS}*

23 Leaving a jet, more energetic (6) SPRYER SPRaYER

24 Extraordinary tenor - cracking numbers - in Mexican folk ensembles (8) NORTENOS {N{TENOR*}OS}

25 Plug-uglies, primarily employed by moneylenders who take possession by force (8) USURPERS {USUR{Pl...s}ERS}

26 Head of krill nibbled by curious Welsh predators (6) WHELKS {WHEL{Kr..l}S*}

DOWN

2   Old boatman's sweetheart turning up outside entrance of apartment (4) NOAH {HON<=} over {Ap...t}

3   Ethiopian on vacation visits, looking around for cosy fireplace (9) INGLENOOK {INGL{Et...aN}OOK*}

4   Overwhelmed by bills, Avtaar cries (6) NOISES {NO{I}SES}

5   Suffering Chinese bend over centre of Parthenon, starting to supplicate, away from public view (6-3-6) BEHIND-THE-SCENES {CHINESE+BEND}* over {parTHEnon} and {Su...e}

6   Country advanced, after arresting leaders of resistance outfits (8) CAMEROON {CAME ON} over {Re...e}{Ou...s}

7   Tops from an old Delhi artisan inspiring gowns in Hanoi (2,3) AO DAI Acrostic

8   Idiot boxes underground, reviewed by operating key on remote control (4,6) MUTE BUTTON {MUT{TUBE<=}T}{ON}

12 Like diamonds, graphite and lead in Anthony Trollope's novel (10) ALLOTROPES {An...y+TROLLOPES}*

15 Bond film "Ancient fellow" described by Spooner (6,3) GOLDEN EYE (~olden guy to golden eye)

16 Cheerful accountant supported by disheartened judge (8) CAREFREE {CA}{REFeREE}

19 One tight singer, finally belted out without a break (2,1,3) IN A ROW {1}{NARrOW}

21 Beam article about caste in Kerala (5) NAYAR {RAY}{AN}<=

22 Footwear box (4) SOCK [DD]

Reference List

Time = T, Germany = D, Husband = H