No 14907, Friday 25 Sep 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

1   Mark cut short American travel at the end for nuptial (7)

5   Firmly established that Edward is lost in abyss, perhaps (4-3)

9   Section of what Collins etched is a small picture inside a larger one (5)

10 Synthetic gum added to marine element (9)

11 Addition of new interns to orbit moon (9)

12 Dismissal leads to travel cost... (5)

13 ...party silently in Germany, Italy and Gulf (7)

15 Feature of Noble? Honour (7)

17 Four-wheeler on railroad could be hot and cold, hard essentially (7)

19 A young woman and boy seen with stranger to have tea shortly (7)

21 To jeer after inaugural talk? Answer is it's forbidden (5)

23 Say, Spiderman's purse nicked by lady having nothing (9)

25 Common people stop an election at Ohio seeking independence (3,6)

26 About an old king being perceptive (5)

27 Photographic process to obtain colour, yellow primarily at palace peripheries... (7)

28 Exaggerated heavily, heartless dupe in disguise plundered primarily (5-2)

DOWN

1   Say, lot of Sprite with wine, whisky, beer etc (7)

2   Old boy's hearing with enthusiasm (9)

3   Lecher posed with last lady Regina (5)

4   Member having a drink with girl in a garment (7)

5   Upset that Leander Angelo is hiding (7)

6   Captivated by love affair in dire need (9)

7   Fast but being slow at the corners provided time (5)

8   Opening in the garment of member is uncut reportedly (7)

14 Contrasting division of being moody with itch awkwardly (9)

16 Improving the demo, adding two notes in composition (2,3,4)

17 An important person gets angry with clumsy host (7)

18 To explain again shows dedication (7)

19 Program in calendar cut short by chief helmsman of the Scandinavian people (7)

20 Self-aggrandisement is for example, nothing in front of teacher's limits, a small pittance (3,4)

22 Child, one in shed (5)

24 Summary of lecture captured partly (5)

No 14906, Thursday 24 Sep 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 7D 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Empty bay filled with electric vehicles by company (4) BEVY {Ba{EV}Y}

3   Part of mouse (more than one) used by learner in black arts insanely (10) TRACKBALLS {L} in {BLACK+ARTS}*

10 Spending Euros, lavishly decorate in style (3,4) ART DECO DECORATe*

11 Where US Congress meets is Washington D.C., say, is not advanced but ordinary (7) CAPITOL CAPIT(-a+o)OL

12 Retain port (7) HARBOUR [DD]

13 Without resistance, say, sister could be excited (6) ELATED rELATED

15 Show opener in the second half is a landlord, maybe (5) OWNER {shOW}{opeNER}

16 Agreement with criminal by faculties reportedly (9) CONSENSUS {CON}{(~senses)SENSUS}

18 Extract sugar mass from seaweed (9) SARGASSUM*

21 Concluding words by messenger (5) ENVOI [DD]

23 Clay and soil sent back to a town near Kolkata (6) DUMDUM {MUD}{MUD}<=

25 Infrared used in vessel, to regularly heat fish (7) PIRANHA {P{IR}AN}{HeAt}

27 Opposed to Turkish general in emptying Siirt (7) AGAINST {AGA}{IN}{SiirT}

28 As deduced, gold ingot initially was spotted on April 1 (1,6) A PRIORI {OR}{In..t}<=>{APR}{1}

29 Say, massager's at large, decapitated following rule by someone from Spurge family (6,4) RUBBER TREE {RUBBER}T{fREE} Anno for T not clear

30 Avoid the quiet one (4) SHUN {SH}{UN}

DOWN

1   Say, holiday home is at Belgium, one in East Central near two hotels by a river (5,5) BEACH HOUSE {B}{E}{A}{C}{H}{H}{OUSE}

2   Check electronically administered by one that is experienced (7) VETERAN {VET}{E}{RAN}

4   Luggage holders for cars ok to fit (4,5) ROOF RACKS*

5   In hurricane, it’s not on to go round (5) CYCLE CYCLonE

6   One having blood pressure on passage in transport (7) BIPLANE {B{1}P}{LANE}

7   Messages to check brief lacking finish (7)  L?T?E?S (Addendum - LETTERS {LET}{TERSe} - See comments)

8   Betrayed, hence boy is disheartened (4) SOLD {SO}{LaD}

9   Departed, route jammed so a diversion (6) DETOUR {D}{ROUTE}*

14 Assessment at New York time by 1, Matthew is overwrought, negativing in the front (10) ESTIMATION {EST}{1}{MAT}{Is}{Ov...t}{Ne...g}

17 Say, masthead is made of metal pane (9) NAMEPLATE*

19 Right hand cut in the centre by thorn of a plant (7) RHUBARB {R}{H}{cUt}{BARB}

20 Way to cook? Criminal at hideout primarily tortures examiner (2,5) AL DENTE {AL}{DEN}{To...s}{Ex...r}

21 Mistakes by precursor; in knots after losing CPU (6) ERRORS {pREcuRSOR}*

22 Painter of vehicle set out to get herbal primers (3,4) VAN GOGH {VAN}{GO}{Get}{He...l}

24 McDermot eternalizing hidden composition (5) MOTET [T]

26 Locks husband and innkeeper's relative at the gate (4) HAIR Acrostic

Reference List

Electric Vehicles = EV, Learner = L, Euros = E, Advanced = A, Ordinary = O, Resistance = R, Quiet = SH, One = Un, East = E, Central = C, Hotel = H, Electronically = E, Departed = D, Right hand = RH, Criminal = AL(Capone)