No 13689, Wednesday 19 Oct 2022, Dr. X

Solution to 25A 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.

ACROSS

1   Report in channel about health resort (8) DISPATCH {DI{SPA}TCH}

5   Loves to sleep endlessly after a party (6) ADORES {RESt}<=>{A}{DO}

10 Greek character enthralled by awesome gal (5) OMEGA [T]

11 Cling to a son becoming emotional (9) NOSTALGIC {CLING+TO+A+S}*

12 Author's most narrow-minded point (9) PENINSULA {PEN}{INSULAr}I

13 Require boundary...bowled out (5) ORDER bORDER

14 Rat race sadly leaves associate in depression (6) CRATER {RAT+RaCE}*

15 Undisclosed affair with maiden in rave (7) DORMANT {DO}{R{M}ANT}

18 News of India's top director involved in scandalous sting (7) TIDINGS {T{In..a}{D}INGS*}

20 Individual knocked back bit of vodka in party again (2,4) DE NOVO {ONE<=}{Vo..a} in {DO}

22 Immoralities ruin lives (5) EVILS*

24 Criminals thrash sailor endlessly in European port (9) CONSTANTA {CONS}{TAN}{TAr}

25 Beauty possessing essentially exquisite figure, almost provocative (9) B?L?I?O?E (Addendum - BELLICOSE {BELL{e..uIs..e}{COSt}E} - See comments)

26 Couple of amateurs tackling problem in Caribbean island (5) ARUBA {A}{RUB}{A}

27 Woman's gown is off kilter (6) KIRTLE*

28 Second peg gets annoying person most high (8) STEEPEST {S}{TEE}{PEST}

DOWN

1   Falls down dead on ascending trail (6) DROOPS {D}{SPOOR<=}

2   Fashion designer consuming drug, going ballistic (6,3) SEEING RED {DESIGNER}* over {E}

3   Once more get endlessly high and drink without consent (7,4,4) AGAINST ONES WILL {AGAIN}{STONEd}{SWILL}

4   Get the better of rook with queen and king (7) CONQUER {CON}{QU}{ER}

6   Sell a lot of big cats? (2,1,7,5) DO A ROARING TRADE [C&DD]

7   Unrelenting American soldier breaks free (5) RIGID {RI{GI}D}

8   Protection from rampant surge, city bars gatherings to begin with (8) SECURITY {SURgE+CITY}*

9   Orders reviewed, enters to execute revolting American assassin (6) OSWALD {D{LAWS<=}O<=}

16 Excitement in rave with nude model going wild (9) ADVENTURE {RAVE+NUDE+T}*

17 Youth enthralled by small boy on fine antelope (8) STEENBOK {S}{TEEN}{B}{OK}

19 Rebellious degenerates consuming ecstasy and cocaine in area (6) SECTOR {S{E}{C}TOR<=}

20 Most crowded dive, starting to suffocate in dump (7) DENSEST {DEN}{SE{Su...e}T}

21 Igneous rock belonging to bottom layer, primarily titaniferous (6) BASALT {BASAL}{Ti...s} Semi&lit

23 One left crushed by socialist backing loafer (5) IDLER {1}{RE{L}D<=}

Reference List

Party = DO, Son = S, Bowled = B, Associate = A, Maiden = M, Director = D, Amateur = A, Second = S, Peg = TEE, Dead = D, Drug = E, High = STONED, Rook = CON, Queen = QU, King = ER, Model = T, Small = S, Boy = B, Ecstasy = E, Cocaine = C, Left = L, Socialist = RED

No 13688, Tuesday 18 Oct 2022, Dr. X

Solution to 10D 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.

ACROSS

1   Woman dumped a dude, bellowing about deceit (6-7) DOUBLE-DEALING {A+DUDE+BELLOwING}*

8  Graduate holding rose in Dutch city (5) BREDA {B{RED}A}

9   Dinner table items of ornamental fabric in fashion all round (5,4) PLACE MATS {P{LACE}MATS<=}

11 Idea behind abandoning grand enterprise (10) ASSUMPTION {ASS}{gUMPTION}

12 Powder in metal container (4) TALC [T]

14 What one training excessively for marathon might do in swamp (7) OVERRUN {OVER RUN}

16 A mysterious gap, one relating to furthest point in orbit (7) APOGEAN {A}{GAP+ONE}*

17 Meat is beginning to go bad, most ill-smelling (7) GAMIEST {MEAT+IS+Go}*

19 Extraordinary genius acquires new following (7) ENSUING {ENSUI{N}G*}

21 Bowler perhaps starting to express resentment (4) HATE {HAT}{E}

22 Troublesome purist rambling in club (10) DISRUPTIVE {D{PURIST*}IVE}

25 Confined over blunder, one fellow's scared stiff (9) TERRIFIED {T{ERR}{1}{F}IED}

26 Bit of egg in breakfast cereal for American writer (5) OATES {OAT{Egg}S}

27 Cine star in set consumes dope, showing pigheadedness (13) INTRANSIGENCE {CINE+STAR+IN}* over {GEN}

DOWN

2   Manage severe spread after onset of Omicron (7) OVERSEE {SEVERE}*<=>{O}

3   Speculate without reserve when prices are falling (4,6) BEAR MARKET {B{EARMARK}ET}

4   Reviewed video about unknown person living abroad (5) EXPAT {E{X}PAT<=}

5   Knocking back drink, start to boisterously talk for minute (9) ELABORATE {ALE<=}{Bo...y}{ORATE}

6   Recline with female? Willingly (4) LIEF {LIE}{F}

7   Star about to shoot in match between Celtics and Lakers, say (3,4) NBA GAME {N{BAG}AME}

8   How Sehwag liked to reach any three-figure milestone undoubtedly (2,1,4,4) BY A LONG SHOT [C&DD]

10 Anticipate nervously, start to slowly snog and seduce (6-5) S?C?N?-G?E?S (Addendum - SECOND-GUESS {Sl...y+SNOG+SEDUCE}* - See comments) 

13 Extraordinary opus has solitary musical instrument (10) SOUSAPHONE {OPUS+HAS}*{ONE}

15 Maniac involved in riot for food (9) NUTRITION {NUT}{IN+RIOT}*

18 Endlessly developing city in Venezuela (7) MATURIN MATURINg

20 Silly jerk after wedding vow embraces bride heartily (7) IDIOTIC {TIC}<=>{I DO} over {brIde}

23 Bones of detective found in bar - criminal finally surrendered (5) RADII {RA{DI}Il}

24 Raised moulding around English coffin stand (4) BIER {BI{E}R<=}

Reference List

Woman = W, Graduate = BA, Rose RED, Grand = G, New = N, Club = DIVE, Fellow = F, Dope = GEN, Unknown = X, female = F, Detective = DI(Detective Inspector), Moulding = RIB, English = E