No 14625, Wednesday 29 Oct 2025, Vidwan

Solution to 24D 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   Dull and pale, not a beauty spot (6) DIMPLE {DIM}{PaLE}

9   English travel out around beginning of October for something that takes them to different level (8) ELEVATOR {E+TRAVEL} over {Oc...r}

10 Old address in guest houses (4) THOU [T]

11 Are art works connecting company to a secure ground? (5,5) TERRA FIRMA {ARE+ART}* over {FIRM}

12 Burn out - that is regressive state (6) BRUNEI {BURN}*{IE<=}

13 Pompous mastery over playing organ (8) ARROGANT {AR{ORGAN*}T}

14 Olympian hero Remo, mostly fighting for what was founded by Charlmagne (4,5,6) HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE {OLYMPIAN+HERO+REMo}*

18 First show of enduring conjugal support (8) ESPOUSAL {En...g}{SPOUSAL}

21 Leaving hoodlum regularly involved in sex trafficking (6) EXODUS {hOoDlUm} in {SEX}*

23 Resident of popular hotel - a scrap worker (10) INHABITANT {IN}{H}{A}{BIT}{ANT}

25 Occasionally shouts hard to silence (4) HUSH {sHoUtS}{H}

26 Disloyal tailless ape, eating plants essentially (8) RECREANT {RECREA{plaNts}Te} Plants essentially will be AN?

27 Labour has no time to check out small spouted bottle for lubrication (6) OILCAN {tOIL}{sCAN}

DOWN

1   Success and other brews so far! (8) HITHERTO {HIT}{OTHER*}

2   Boost dopes could be unsupported (6) UPTURN {UPTURN+DOPES}*=UNSUPPORTED [CA]

3   One I turn magically into a lepton (8) NEUTRINO*

4   Bamboo shoot uprooted for herbivore (4) DEER<=

5   Austria persisted, holding back restoration (6) REPAIR [T<=]

6   Showing enthusiasm for Putin age, surprisingly! (6,2) EATING UP*

7   Stone age tomb of diseased old soldiers (6) DOLMEN {OLD*}{MEN}

13 Benefit from bit of travails (5) AVAIL [T]

15 Regulars in type love resistance, enrolled in various reserves (8) YEOMANRY {tYpE}{O}{MAN{R}Y}

16 English king going back into violent action (8) EXERTION {E}{REX<=}{INTO*}

17 Philosopher arouses, transforms you in the end (8) ROUSSEAU {AROUSES}*{yoU}

19 X numbers backing a verse (6) SONNET {TEN}{NOS}<=

20 Time for grieving at Sankara hospital (6) SHIVAH {SHIVA}{H}

22 Barely done, hot and seasoned in suspension (2,4) ON HOLD {dONe}{H}{OLD}

24 Not in favour of gas bombing? Could be against! (4) A?T? (Addendum - ANTI {ANTI+GAS}*=AGAINST [CA] - See comments)

Reference List

English = E, Hotel = H, Hard = H, Time = T, Small = S, Resistance = R, Hospital = H, Hot = H