No 14676, Saturday 27 Dec 2025, Dr. X

 ACROSS
1 Dynamic gaoler surely has good collection of mugshots (6,7) ROGUE'S GALLERY {GAOLER SURELY}* over {G}

8 Hot escort in retreat entertaining fifty scoundrels (5) HEELS {H}{S{L}EE<}
9 Kids of India's top detective inspector caught breaking laws (9) RIDICULES {R{India}{DI}{C}ULES}
11 & 7 What billiards player will do// to make the first move (3,3,4,7) GET THE BALL ROLLING [DD]
12 Chemical element extracted from quartz in colliery (4) ZINC [T]

14 Mask for each lad and gal at centre (7) PERSONA {PER}{SON}{gAl}
16 One collecting hard pebbles on a beach (7) SHINGLE {S{H}INGLE}

17 Uproar in trial involving oriental politician (7) TEMPEST {T{E}{MP}EST}
19 Excellent associate tackling good boy's recurrent neurological disorder (7) AGNOSIA {A{G}{SON<}I}{A}
21 Stop bowler crossing line (4) HALT {HA{L}T}
22 Pop a capsule to gain power and energy? Nonsense! (5,5) APPLE SAUCE {A CAPSULE}* around {P} then {E}
25 Director's explanation about year with ultimately horrendous period of low rainfall (3,6) DRY SEASON {D}{R{Y}{horrendouS}EASON}
26 Individual, tense about season's first outbreak (5) ONSET {ON{Season}E}{T}
27 Unintentional errors by doctor ultimately worsened fissure in pal (8,5) FREUDIAN SLIPS {worseneD FISSURE IN PAL}*

DOWN
2 Row about retreat getting poor rating, perhaps (3-4) ONE-STAR {O{NEST}AR}
3 One's old chum struggling without money is not educated (10) UNSCHOOLED {ONE'S OLD CHUm}*
4 Woody plant or bush perhaps? About right (5) SHRUB {BUSH}* around {R}
5 Asian lad wandering around posh Spanish region (9) ANDALUSIA {ASIAN LAD}* around {U}

6 Lady getting excellent thong (4) LACE {L}{ACE}
7 See 11 Across
8 Intoxicated prince irritated soprano (4-7) HIGH-PITCHED {HIGH}{P}{ITCHED}

10 Spy rebellious teenagers consuming cocaine near bar (6,5) SECRET AGENT {TEENAGERS}* around {C} then {T}
13 One supporting key player tottering in a spot near restroom in retreat (5,5) PIANO STOOL {IN A SPOT}*{LOO<}

15 Accepted suggestion to have new wine and Italian appetisers (9) ANTIPASTI  {A}{TIP} about {N} then{ASTI}

18 Start to make film about a city in Iran (7) MALAYER {Make}{LAYER} about {A}
20 Tree in ordinary park outside ancient city (7) SOURSOP {SO-SO}{P} around {UR}

23 Soviet leader accepted by revolutionary men in election (5) LENIN [T<]

24 Live with a posh boyfriend  (4) BEAU {BE}{A}{U}

REFERENCE LIST

Good=G, Hot=H, Fifty=L, Detective Inspector=DI, Caught=C, Hard=H, Oriental=Eastern=E, Politician=MP, Excellent=AI, Associate=A, Line=L, Power=P, Energy=E, Director=D, Year=Y, Tense=T, Money=M, Right=R, Posh=U, Lady=L, Prince=P, Cocaine=C, Bar=T, Accepted=A, New=N, Park=P, Ancient City=Ur.