No 14599, Friday 26 Aug 2025, Dr. X

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

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PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

1   Arrived outside park to rest in place where people can pitch a tent (8) CAMPSITE {CAM{P}{SIT}E}

5   Stiff tequilas on vacation, turning mischievous (6) STARCH {Te...aS<=}{ARCH}

10 Fever caused by polluted air? Yep, toxic essentially (7) PYREXIA {AIR+YEP+toXic}*

11 Disagreed with newspaper article about rebellious operation ending in success (7) OPPOSED {OPED}over {OP<=}{s...eS}

12 Worm in piece of cake repelled aristocrat (5) CREEP {Cake}{PEER<=}

13 Lure with fantastic discount to bring in clients at centre (9) SEDUCTION {DISCOUNT}* over {cliEnts}

14 & 21 What mechanic might do to regain energy by resting for a while (8,4,9) RECHARGE ONES BATTERIES [C&DD]

18 Perfection of leader in French Revolution (12) FLAWLESSNESS {Fr...h}{LAWLESSNESS}

21 See 14 Across

23 Sample of shiny, long synthetic material (5) NYLON [T]

24 English king died, badly cut by brutal revolutionary (6,1) EDWARD I {ED{RAW<=}DI*}

25 Back of auto, almost overflowing with methamphetamine and crack (7) ORIFICE {autO}{RIFe}{ICE}

26 British economist's pointers about national economy at inauguration (6) KEYNES {KEY{Na...l}{Ec...y}S}

27 Guys losing head in hole, getting small torch (8) PENLIGHT {P{mEN}LIGHT}

DOWN

1   Kiss after company makes money in Russia (6) COPECK {PECK}<=>{CO}

2   Take out wine on reflection after knocking back liquor (6) MURDER {RED<=}<=>{RUM<=}

3   Bored by old program? Shut it! (3,6) SEX APPEAL {EX}{APP} in {SEAL}

4   Dynamic hitter's tip to dominate bowlers is awesome (5,3,6) THATS THE SPIRIT {HITTERS+TIP}* over {HATS}

6   Question in first chapter about iodine (5) TOPIC {TOP}{C} over {I}

7   Some countrymen worked in USSR, say, endlessly (8) RUSSIANS {IN+USSR+SAy}*

8   Sensuality of trim, handsome young man going topless inside (8) HEDONISM {HE{aDONIS}M}

9   Go to the toilet with model to consume ecstasy and downers on set (6,4,4) POWDER ONES NOSE {POSE} over {E+DOWNERS+ON}*

15 Main model is leanest (9) ESSENTIAL*

16 Duck! Fellow gets bowled, taken in by unusual delivery (3,5) OFF BREAK {O}{F}{F{B}REAK}

17 Save route after bringing back book of maps (4,4)  SALT AWAY {WAY}<=>{ATLAS<=}

19 Brief dalliance around end of party (6) FLYING {FL{p..tY}ING}

20 Consume gin cocktail on set recklessly (6) INGEST {GIN*}{SET*}

22 Mysterious creature finally caught in North American lake (5) EERIE {c...rE} in {ERIE}

Reference List

Park = P, Newspaper article = OP ED, Methamphetamine = ICE, Wine = RED, Old = EX, Ecstasy = E, Fellow = F, Bowled = B