No 14812, Friday 05 Jun 2026, Arden

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   Well, takes seconds to create trouble(6)

4   Yearns to get help for a medical complaint(8)

9   Song about ultimate love and beginning of love in the air(6)

10 Chasm created before fleece(8)

12 VIPs were all over the place for advance shows(8)

13 Outlook of a group that keeps quiet(6)

15 Perhaps organise team for a threesome(6,1,5)

18 Nothing under the closet - showing insincere affection(8,4)

21 Turns out taking drug causes disturbance(6)

22 Nickname for Charlie -"Go back only with women"(8)

24 Spray is not working - discard(8)

25 One sits quietly before God in a holy place(6)

26 Perhaps Robert's getting a tan(8)

27 French city where Poles take a bet(6)

DOWN

1   Spooner's bio-fuel, prominence is for a refrigerator(4,4)

2   Theatre people and their desire in their progenies(8)

3   No.1 quiz that prompts the answer wanted(7,8)

5   Some aspirants are from this country(4)

6   Abandon Asia - he is happy with national language(6,9)

7   Essays she set to rewrite(6)

8   Arrange seats, one comes in for some rest(6)

11 Trust the fancy brew, say(5,2)

14 Tense on ground? That's betrayal(7)

16 To millions and millions conservative rise is rubbish(8)

17 These are perhaps writers' assumed title(3,5)

19 State wordplay for an injection(6)

20 Compelled to include the final prayer at the shrine(6)

23 Tough to proceed(4)

No 14811, Thursday 04 Jun 2026, Arden

Solution to 19D 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   Daydream with a list Catherine prepared (6,2,3,3) CASTLE IN THE AIR*

10 Romeo wears ring that is expensive (5) PEARL {PEA{R}L}

11 Newly made to inculcate American virtue - a duty that's proportionate (2,7) AD VALOREM {MADE}* over {VALOR}

12 One eating fruit, time for some food (7) ALIMENT {A{LIME}N}{T}

13 Able to stop the boys' return - it's a disgrace (7) SCANDAL {CAN} in {LADS<=}

14 Money for a French rocket almost rejected (5) NAIRA ARIANe<=

16 Dirty job right inside - one strayed (9) MEANDERED {MEAN}{DE{R}ED}

19 Suspect lets alarm go off (5,1,3) SMELL A RAT*

20 Poor creature loses wicket to throw it all up (5) RETCH wRETCH

22 Invested in final round, one day later (7) ENDOWED {END}{O}{WED} What's the role of 'later'?

25 Tie in writing charms (7) MASCOTS {M{ASCOT}S}

27 Bad in law to accept - in other words, it is ambush (3,2,4) LIE IN WAIT {IN+LAW}* over {IE} with {IT}

28 In Kenya, lakes are home to this animal (5) NYALA [T]

29 Amass gold - times change and it becomes the most sought after thing (10,4) COLLECTORS ITEM {COLLECT}{OR}{TIMES*}

DOWN

2   Ticks off with this (9) ACARICIDE [GK] (Addendum - {ACARI}{CIDE}&lit - See comments)

3   It shows approximate inner diameter of a hat (5) TILDE {TIL{D}E}

4   Glass essentially goes in far back like rubber (9) ELASTOMER {gLASs} in {REMOTE<=}

5   In a vestment you can see parts of the church (5) NAVES [T]

6   Dutch also shout outside (9) HOLLANDER {HOLL{AND}ER}

7   Bitter, free undercurrent (5) ACRID {RID}<=>{AC}

8   Animal sacrificed - went on and on (7) RAMBLED {RAM}{BLED}

9   Twist well, get right home (6) SPRAIN {SP{R}A}{IN}

15 A weapon receives modest grant (9) ALLOWANCE {A}{L{LOW}{ANCE}

17 Adjust input schedule on the cockpit instrument (9) ALTIMETER {AL{TIME}TER}

18 Reason to restrict booze consumption (9) RATIONALE {RATION}{ALE} Consumption is superfluous

19 Back in the centre carrying pound of varnish (7) S?E?L?C (Addendum - SHELLAC {bACk}<=>{SHELL}- See comments)

21 Old cavalryman - hard to be one in Soviet Union (6) HUSSAR {H}{USS{A}R}

23 Live long with crude rising (5) DWELL {L}{LEWD}<=

24 It's foolish without reading the outline (5) DRAFT {D{R}AFT}

26 Part of Egypt somewhat soars in air (5) SINAI [T]

Reference List

Romeo = R, Time = T, Right = R, Wicket = W, Writing = MS(Manuscript), Gold = OR, Diameter = D, Home = IN, Hard = H, Long = L, Reading = R