No 14509, Thursday 12 Jun 2025, Crescent

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

8   Spooner's stomach aid for gymnastic posture (9) HANDSTAND {~stand hand to handstand)

9   First to last, dirty paintings (4) OILS (-s)OIL(+s)S

10 Rugby Union team rep, lively, consumed by disposition to be feverish (3,1,11) RUN A TEMPERATURE {RU} and {TEAM+REP}* in {NATURE}

12 Abnormally thin English couple catching a cold, one died (9) EMACIATED {E}{MA{C}{1}ATE}{D}

13 Record ton on batting left-handed (5) INEPT {EP}{T}<=>{IN}

14 Observant, required when husband replaces note (7) HEEDFUL (-n+h)HEEDFUL

17 European cycling champs are superior in organisation (7) M?N?G?R (Addendum - MANAGER {(-ger)MAN(+ger)GER} over {A} - See comments)

19 Regrets circumventing lecturer's principles (5) RULES {RU{L}ES}

21 Wretched place concealing start of potential viral disease (9) VARICELLA {pLACE+VIRAL}*

24 Model of one, expect I am in line for this? (15) EXEMPLIFICATION {OF+1+EXPECT+I+AM+IN+L}* &lit

25 Discharge brat (4) SNOT [DD]

26 Monotone, one curiously odd? Yes, strangely delivered (9) UNICOLOUR {ONe+CURIOUsLy}*

DOWN

1   Chore rashly done ending in acute muscle cramp (7,5) CHARLEY HORSE {CHORE+RASHLY+donE} (Correction - {CHORE+RASHLY}*{a..tE} - See comments)

2   One nobody picked up before steady flood (8) INUNDATE {1}{(~none)NUN}{DATE}

3   African thug climbing this to start casing section (6) TSOTSI [T<=]

4   Rodent damage mounting to millions (6) MARMOT {MAR} and {TO}{M}<=

5   Damn dude, lousy rider (8) ADDENDUM*

6   Spot of balm coating bit of chapped area (8) LOCATION {LO{Ch...d}{A}TION}

7   Top bishop, contemptible person (6) BLOUSE {B}{LOUSE}

11 Performers in street near ground (12) ENTERTAINERS*

15 Fellow ends up supporting American nit-pickers (8) FUSSPOTS {F}{STOPS<=}<=>{US}

16 Setter's entering inebriated party (4,2,2) LIVE IT UP {L{I'VE}IT UP}

18 Delay over pilot flying crock for drugs (8) GALLIPOT {LAG<=}{PILOT*}

20 First infiltrates security, seconds later stays under cover? (3-3) LIE-INS {LIE{1}N}{S}

22 Sultana's rule reportedly saving lives (6) RAISIN {(~reign)RAIN} over {IS}

23 Don quickly reversing operation divides family (4,2) CLAP ON {CLA{OP<=}N}

Reference List

Rugby Union = RU, English = E, Cold = C, Died = D, Record = EP(Extended Play), Ton = T, Batting = IN, Husband = H, Note = N, Are = A, Lecturer = L, Line = L, Steady = DATE, Millions = M, Area = A, Bishop = B, Fellow = F, Seconds = S