No 14758, Friday 03 Apr 2026, Afterdark

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

ACROSS

8   Travel with graduate (4) PASS [DD]

9   Man in deserted Warangal, procures 1000 creatures, snail perhaps (5) WHELK {W..a{HE}n..L}{K}

10 Done with 6 deliveries (4) OVER [DD]

11 Basically thoughtless mistake leads to panic (6) TERROR {Th...s}{ERROR}

12 Victor, bad adult at New York hides an evil act (8) VILLAINY {V}{ILL}{A}{NY} over {1}

13 Thug in Furness (8) SKINHEAD {SKIN}{HEAD} What is a Furness?

15 American singer's lines on virginity, say (6) CHERRY {CHER}{RY}

17 Counterpart, very short, loses edge chasing old ball (7) OBVERSE {V}{tERSE} <=>{O}{B}

19 Enforcement Directorate seizes currency at engineer's business (7) EPISODE {E{PISO}D}{E} 

22 Offer by them, after one in the same place (6)  IBIDEM {BID}{'EM}<=>{1}

24 Record by new cycle right away (8) NOTATION {N}{rOTATION}

26 Harry then cuts a tree (8) CHESTNUT*

28 Young working class Scot invites trouble, gets arrested (6) NAILED {N{AIL}ED}

30 Say, equipment at hospital gets current provided in opposite direction (2-2) HI-FI {H}{I}{IF<=}

31 Piece of furniture in resto, old to maintain (5) STOOL [T]

32 Van Dyke will hide this (4) CHIN [CD/GK]

DOWN

1   Nominate some from enamellers (4) NAME [HIPS]

2   Mix reagents and separate (8) ESTRANGE*

3   Answer verbally, not entirely with twist (6) SWERVE [T]

4   Building revamped spending millions as charge (7) PERVADE {REVAmPED}*

5   CSK pulls batter to provide safety gear (8) SKULLCAP* Extra S and an A short in the fodder

6   Say, Britisher Wade eliminates diwan essentially for a hairstyling cream (6) POMADE {POM}{wADE} 

7   Withdraw from network consuming time ultimately (4) WEAN {W{timE}AN}

14 Dish available in Muridke, Babylonia (5) KEBAB [T]

16 Heads off to Erode to participate in a contest (5) RODEO {eRODE}{tO}

18 Say, the Zealot is primarily enamoured by Polish (8) SIMONISE {SIMON}{IS}{En...d}

20 In peacetimes, morning is spent preparing for carefully planned military operation (3,5) SET PIECE PEaCETImES*

21 Female leaves party to get a balm (7) UNCTION fUNCTION

23 It's somehow used in Duke Institute leading laboratory for getting extract (6) DISTIL {D}{ITS*}{I}{La...y}

25 Can heartless gal empathise at the beginning giving gooseflesh (6) TINGLE {TIN}{GaL}{Em...e}

27 Mop hall first and ventilate (4) HAIR {Hall}{AIR}

29 Say, Mahabharata is a constant in Eastern colleges (4) EPIC {E}{PI}{C}

Reference List

1000 = K, Victor = V, Lines = RY, Very = V, Old = O, Ball = B, Engineer = E, New = N, Right = R, Hospital = H, Current = I, Millions = M, Morning = AM, Female = F, Duke = D, Institute = I, Constant = PI, Eastern = E, Colleges = C

No 14757, Thursday 02 Apr 2026, KrisKross

Solution to 22D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Collapse following blast - loud, primarily powerful (4,2) FOLD UP {F}{LOUD*}{Po...l}

4   Artist of Cuba, in drunken stupor, left (8) SCULPTOR {C} in {STUPOR+L}*

10 Appeal to queen about monument (9) CHARMINAR {CHARM}{RANI<=}

11 Cook good fish after removing head (5) GRILL {G}{bRILL}

12 Condition of sailor carried by vehicle to hospital (7) CATARRH {CA{TAR}R}{H}

13 Gets Mark to cycle after a time (7) ATTAINS {(-s)TAIN(+s)S}<=>{A}{T}

14 Rejected part of result as "Erroneous", attempted exam again (5) RESAT [T<=]

15 One who loves dogs and birds (8) FANTAILS {FAN}{TAILS}

18 An accountant, after retirement, trained community of scholars (8) ACADEMIA {A}{CA}{AIMED<=}

20 English students leaving parasol in shade (5) UMBRA UMBRellA

23 Timid fellow gets scolding (7) FEARFUL {F}{EARFUL}

25 Close sale? (4,3) SEAL OFF {SALE}* [RA]

26 Catch drum (5) SNARE [DD]

27 Hitler, say, cordial about Germany (9) WARMONGER {WARM}{ON}{GER}

28 It provides insight from analysis of heredity (5,3) THIRD EYE*

29 Story about invading Spain - it could reveal something valuable (6) OYSTER {OYST{E}R*}

DOWN

1   Maybe King's rage to quash conservative nation in revolt (4,4) FACE CARD {FA{C}{RACE<=}D}

2   Shelters in grasslands not affected (4-3) LEAN-TOS {LEA{NOT*}S}

3   Mutineer punished by duke? Not fair (9) UNMERITED {MUTINEER}*{D}

5   I insure art, cars, refurbished trailers (7,7) CURTAIN RAISERS*

6   Easy part of this grid (5) LIGHT [DD]

7   Inconsequential test - eventually one is overwhelmed by opponent (7) TRIVIAL {tesT}{RIV{1}AL}

8   Apparel is hand-crafted, revealing taste (6) RELISH [T]

9   Expecting easy finals in Open Bridge Tournament, why I may fail (2,3,6,3) IN THE FAMILY WAY {opeN+b...gE+t...nT+WHY+I+MAY+FAIL}*

16 Flattering most mature, active, conservative politician (9) ADULATORY {ADULt}{A}{TORY}

17 Picked up much more pretty traveller (8) WAYFARER (~way fairer)

19 Bread ready to be dipped in tea (7) CHAPATI {CHA{PAT}I}

21 Took rupees, purchased clothes (7) BROUGHT {B{R}OUGHT}

22 Compensate for rotten place (6) ?F?S?T (Addendum - OFFSET {OFF}{SET} - See comments)

24 He formulated a complex argument about core of modernism (5) FREUD {F{m..eRn..m}EUD}

Reference List

Following = F, Cuba = C, Left = L, Good = G, Hospital = H, Time = T, Accountant = CA, English = E, Student = L, Fellow = F, Spain = E, Rage = FAD, Conservative = C, Duke = D, Active = A, Rupees = R