No 14551, Thursday 31 Jul 2025, Arden

Solution to 22D 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   Workers get in, complain about spindles (8) DISTAFFS {DI{STAFF}S}

5   Bit of a methodical person - brings back calm (6) PLACID [T<=]

10 Rich widow's advice on taking a chance (7) DOWAGER {DO WAGER}

11 A hybrid crop - it could bear fruit (7) APRICOT {A}{CROP+IT}*

12 Long time for horse to enter - prod it (3,2) EGG ON {E{GG}ON}

13 Watchdog for thousand American friends in the country (9) OMBUDSMAN {O{M}{BUDS}MAN}

14 Digital entertainment - a special gift (6,6) HIDDEN TALENT [C&DD]

18 Wine and ale can do perhaps in this country (3,9) NEW CALEDONIA {WINE+ALE+CAN+DO}*

21 Against history - only a course (9) ANTIPASTO {ANTI}{PAST}{O}

23 New area can be costly (5) NACRE {N}{ACRE}

24 It helps some people's aspirations (7) INHALER [CD]

25 Repeating it - time not to lose heart (7) ITERANT {IT}{ERA}{NoT}

26 Look, it's somewhat wavering and erratic (6) GANDER [T]

27 Serial killer's last known address? (5,3) DEATH ROW [CD]

DOWN

1   Not happy about keeping an animal inside lower walls (6) DADOES {SAD<=} over {DOE}

2   Refuse to allow comedian to enter Vatican, perhaps (6) SEWAGE {SE{WAG}E}

3   Spy right inside in a country... (9) ARGENTINA {A{R}GENT}{IN}{A}

4   ...besides our fearsome dog barking (3,4,7) FOR GOOD MEASURE*

6   Persuaded a bit - order ultimately came from the South (5) LURED [T<=]

7   Coppers order to surrender finally, but one is cool as they say (8) CUCUMBER {CU}{CU}{MBE}{s...eR}

8   Go off with boyfriend outside school (8) DETONATE{D{ETON}ATE}

9   Heart of a Scot, in short, is poisonous (6,8) CARBON MONOXIDE {sCOt}

15 Lamenting about alliance (9) ALIGNMENT*

16 Making some dough and wanting to announce it (8) KNEADING (~needing)

17 Start with an issue about the terrible women (6,2) SWITCH ON {S{WITCH}ON}

19 Some money the church returned - that's sweet (6) ECLAIR {RIAL}{CE}<=

20 Grant is in Paris, covered by missile launcher (6) BESTOW {B{EST}OW}

22 Cry over endless beat (5) P?L?E (Addendum - PULSE {PUL{lesS}E} - See comments)

Reference List

Complain = DIS, Horse = GG, Thousand = M, Only = O, New = N, Right = R, Church = CE, Is in French = EST