No 14596, Tuesday 23 Sep 2025, Afterdark

Solution to 27A 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   Couple of pounds earned by prophet from vendor (6) SELLER {SE{LL}ER}

4   Wardrobe around the corner, positioned together (5-3) CLOSE SET {CLOSE{SE}T}

9   Leader quits small bank, say (6) LENDER sLENDER

10 Casual partner (8) CAVALIER [DD}

12 It's apple blended with pulse (5-3) SPLIT-PEA*

13 Spring found in Erode river? Not entirely (6) DERIVE [T]

15 Reflections of armies' rigor, top military training (6,6) MIRROR IMAGES {ARMIES+RIGOR+Mi...y}*

18 Unconditional authority for central bank from the beginning, each affected (5,7) CARTE BLANCHE {CENTRAL+Bank+EACH}*

21 More or less a circle (6) AROUND {A}{ROUND}

22 Have to cross, eat with wife in extreme climatic condition (4,4) HEAT WAVE {H{EAT}{W}AVE}

24 After intense interactions, rest taken leading to inertia (8) INACTION INterACTIONs*

25 Always right externally? Could lead to lapse (6) REVERT {R{EVER}T}

26 Affected by con in southeast Norway (8) STRICKEN {S{TRICK}E}{N}

27 Bolt from gully (6) ?T?D?E ()

DOWN

1   Identical males dancing around female behind a corner (8) SELFSAME {MALES}* over {F} <=>{SE}

2   Two large gates next to each other at department installed by owner (8) LANDLORD {L}{AND}{L}{OR}{D}

3   Egocentric male, leading thespian creating a wave, say (15) ELECTROMAGNETIC {EGOCENTRIC+MALE+Th...n}*

5   Clay and sand on top of land over a mountaintop (4) LOAM {Land}{O}{A}{Mo...n}

6   Say, bureau of foreign affairs in USA (5,10) STATE DEPARTMENT {STATE}{DEPARTMENT}

7   Mood for whiskey, say (6) SPIRIT [DD]

8   A large dish given to youngster outside old city (6) TUREEN {T{UR}EEN}

11 I had med earlier to settle (7) MEDIATE {I}{ATE}<=>{MED}

14 Walk in between two rivers to the ranch house (7) RAMBLER {R}{AMBLE}{R}

16 Meat cut from ganders cooked over coal primarily (5,3) SCRAG END {GANDERS}* over {Coal}

17 About to pay and move to another place (8) RESETTLE {RE}{SETTLE}

19 Boy hikers regularly spotted with females (6) LADIES {LAD}{hIkErS}

20 Exaggerated talk by trio, ha it's trash (3,3) HOT AIR* 

23 Directed at home with no entrance (4) BODE aBODE

Reference List

Pound = L, Corner = SE, Small = S, Wife = W, Right = R, Norway = N, Female = F, Large = L, Gates = AND, OR, Department = D, Over = O, River = R, About = RE