No 14370, Tuesday 31 Dec 2024, Avtaar

Solution to 18A 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   Recent communication about a missing Earl (6) LATTER {L{A}eTTER}

4   Agitated swimmer eating constantly (8) FEVERISH {F{EVER}ISH}

9   Soccer balls near goalpost's end grabbed by linesman from back (6) FOOTER {OO}{g...sT} in {REF<=}

10 Difficulty in speech... and I capitulate (8) HANDICAP [T]

11 Things are stirring in images of that old European complex (3,4,2,5) THE GAME IS AFOOT {IMAGES+OF+THAT+O+E}*

13 Practical test that is included by banks for financial director ahead of court proceeding (5,5) FIELD TRIAL {Fi...{IE}...aL}{D}{TRIAL}

14 Check by spinning top of tuner on TV (4) TEST {Tu..r}{SET}<=

16 Unevenly rough, dry part of Germany (4) RUHR {RoUgH+dRy}

18 Spies taken in by extremely bright discharged emigrants who frequent upper-class dos (10) ?O?I?L?T?S ()

21 A mantis flirting with sinister marsupial (9,5) TASMANIAN DEVIL {A+MANTIS}*{AND}{EVIL}

23 Most of our experiment covers onset of Venus' eclipse (8) OUTRIVAL {OUr}{TRI{Ve..s}AL}

24 Bird sighted at first on trek across river (6) SHRIKE {Si...d}{H{R}IKE}

25 Nocturnal habits? (8) NIGHTIES [DD]

26 "Dash" in special font (6) SPRINT {S}{PRINT}

DOWN

1   Pick up fight after changing sides (4) LIFT (-r+l)LIFT

2   Old children cutting, say, palm and foot (7) TROCHEE {TR{O}{CH}EE}

3   Nuclei of cells modified in degrees after removing electron (8) ENERGIDS {IN+DEGReES}*

5   In the morning, Avtaar visits former kingdom for investigation (11) EXAMINATION {AM}{I} in {EX}{NATION}

6   Get close to target and rip top off (6) ENDEAR {END}{tEAR}

7   Go down supporting popular Conservative ring (7) INCLOSE {LOSE}<=>{IN}{C}

8   Condition is almost pathetic after treatment (9) HEPATITIS {IS+PATHETIc}*

12 Likeness of, say, ruler with gold skirt reflecting on casing of gemstone (6,5) MIRROR IMAGE {AMIR}{OR}{RIM}<={Ge...nE}

13 Eldest brother is new head of family after he goes abroad (5-4) FIRST-BORN {BROTheR+IS+N+Fa...y}* 

15 Cool to follow book with cryptic clue of top quality (4-4) BLUE CHIP {HIP}<=>{B}{CLUE*}

17 Touch of titanium and silver below pot# (7) HASHTAG {Ti,,,m}{AG}<=>{HASH}

19 Stability's in doubt - possibly stay away, after leaving son in capital (7) TBILISI staBILITyS Third I from? Seems to be an error in fodder?

20 Cryptically, it's savage (6) SADIST {ITS}* [RA]

22 Superman's well-known place in England (4) KENT [DD]

Reference List

Earl = E, Old = O, European = E, Director = D, River = R, Special = S, Children = CH, Electron = E, Conservative = C, Gold = OR, New = N, Book = B