No 14859, Thursday 30 Jul 2026, Karaoke

Solution to 2D 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   Rain around Eastern Colorado's top desert (6) DECAMP D{E}{Co...o}AMP} Rain/Damp?

4   One with highest technical skills developed virus too (8) VIRTUOSO*

9   Russian capital in distress over time (6) ROUBLE tROUBLE

10 Highly poisonous substances concocted in extremely deadly case (8) CYANIDES {IN+De..lY+CASE}*

12 Animal worker at restaurant leaving early finally (8) ANTEATER {ANT}{EATERy}

13 Agree to cheat copper and inspector at last (6) CONCUR {CON}{CU}{i...oR}

15 Touch on cycle, it is forbidden (4) TABU (+t)TABU(-t)

17 Trying to endure mobs in a riot (10) BURDENSOME {BURDENSOME}*

19 Spooner's rodent loathes those who share accommodation (10) HOUSEMATES (~mouse hates to housemates)

20 Brought end of page to the head for insect (4) FLEA (+f)FLEA(-f)

23 50% of seed gets fruit. Cool (6) SEDATE {SEed}{DATE}

24 Wonder drug taken after drink in a bar (8) RUMINATE {E}<=>{RUM}{IN}{A}{T}

27 Somewhere in Australia, a detailed plan missed initial targets (8) ADELAIDE {A}{DEtAILED}*

28 Free service first with your personal credentials (4-2) USER-ID {RID}<=>{USE}

29 Performing sex daily? It impairs your intellectual competence! (8) DYSLEXIA*

30 He was loved by Aphrodite mainly to carry out crime in retreat (6) ADONIS {Ap...e}{DO}{SIN<=}

DOWN

1   Sleeping gatekeeper forgot old coat at the close (7) DORMANT {DOoRMAN}{coaT}

2   Cocaine runs around in the open bar (5) C?U?T ()

3   Think over a chief hermit. He is a scholar in sacred law (6) MULLAH {MULL}{A}{He...t}

5   Primarily it describes your love for poem on pastoral subjects (4) IDYL Acrostic

6   12:50, in all probability? (3,2,3) TEN TO ONE [DD/Rebus]

7   Traditional type of class, not new to teach (3,6) OLD SCHOOL [C&DD]

8   Keep an eye on old boy with premier Scotch bottle with hidden name (7) OBSERVE {OB}{Sc...h}{nERVE}

11 Worldly cryptic clues by a setter in the finale (7) SECULAR {CLUES*}{A}{s...eR}

14 What batsman did before going to bat, dropping cap finally, made sense (5,2) ADDED UP {pADDED UP}

16 Vast group abducted old ship (9) BOUNDLESS  {B{O}UNDLE}{SS}

18 Feel about water shortage desperately in oppressive weather (8) HEATWAVE {HAVE} over {WATEr}*

19 Manager spent hours regularly with orchestra (7) HUSBAND {HoUrS}{BAND}

21 Minister abruptly got upset over plans of action (7) AGENDAS {AGENt}{SAD<=}

22 One-sided? I like to be in a place to sleep (6) BIASED {B}{I}{AS}ED}

25 Old hand in an area on stage before the curtain (5) APRON {A{PRO}N}

26 I'll admit often about some breakfast item (4) IDLI {IlL+aDmIt}<=

Reference List

Eastern = E, Time = T, Drug = E, Bar = T, Old = O, Old boy = OB, Name = N, Ship = SS

No 14858, Wednesday 29 July 2026, Gussalufz

Artwork by Prasanna

Solution to 19A 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.

The Truth, Eric?

ACROSS

1   Everybody who's ruled regularly (5) WORLD {WhOs+RuLeD}

4   Piano finale in Sholay, amidst Gabbar getting shot and beheaded (4,5) BABY GRAND {s...aY} in {GABBAR}*{aND}

9   Salamander all too excited about kiss (7) AXOLOTL {ALL+TOO}* over {X}

10 Sorcerers with headless reptiles (7) WIZARDS {W}{lIZARDS}

11 I'll tell Betty it's cooked slowly (6,2,6) LITTLE BY LITTLE*

12 Standard from Ronaldo—scored on both sides upon returning (4) NORM [T<=]

13 Fruit vending station software on phone essentially stalled and rejected touch (5-4) APPLE-CART  {APP}{staLled}{TRACE<=}

17 They hurt refusers badly, inspiring a dash of fear (9) SUFFERERS {REFUSERS}* over {Fear}

19 Main man in the woman's heart (4) ?E?O ()

22 What someone said, as reported in bleak court records backing filed copy (8,6) INDIRECT SPEECH {IN}{DIRE}{CT}{EPS<=}{ECHo} 

25 Was easy to relocate shipping routes (7) SEAWAYS*

26 Perhaps one by poet Eliot? No withdrawing in front of audience! (7)  ONSTAGE {AGE} by {TS}{NO}<= (Correction {EG}{A}{TS}{NO}<= - See comments)

27 Feral spy moving around quietly with thin, attractive agents of death (9) FLYPAPERS {FERAL+SPY}* over {P}

28 Procedure decimated pests (5) STEPS*

DOWN

1   Wife in lake, swimming next to grandsons on vacation (they're not very strong) (9) WEAKLINGS {W}{IN+LAKE}*{Gr...nS}

2   Bird in kangaroo's territory (7) ROOSTER [T]

3   Meadow-grazer eating weathered old drawing (6) DOODLE {DO{OLD*}E}

4   With two lips, a bit able, somehow, to hold beedi's end (9) BILABIATE {A+BIT+ABLE}* over {b..dI} 

5   Joint recycling and waste processing centre? (5) BOWEL (+el)ELBOW(-el) 

6   Watch test while skimming newspapers (8) GAZETTES {GAZE}{TEST}*

7   Trailer, U/A-certified, reviewed: shows harmless jellyfish (7) AURELIA [T<=]

8   Record example of single-hop Caesar cipher mapping? (4) DISC [DD] (Addendum D is C - See comments)

14 Places medicines outside upwardly mobile infants' limits (9) POSITIONS {PO{In...tS<=}TIONS}

15 Let's shoot randomly? That's ineffective (9) TOOTHLESS*

16 Adventures in a tavern featuring Greek wine (8) RESINATA [T]

18 Dream lover, stay through storm! (7) FANTASY {FAN}{STAY}*

20 Cheer a tense, boring cricket team, mostly (7) ELEVATE {A}{T} in {ELEVEn}

21 Resorts to extremes of malicious attacks (6) SPASMS {SPAS}{Ma...uS}

23 Follow Peruvian river around American country to the north (5) ENSUE {E{US}NE}<=

24 Former Kent captain, Iqbal from Pakistan? No chance! (2,2) AS IF {ASIF}

Reference List

Kiss = X, With = W, Quietly = P, Wife  = W, Tense = T