No 14852, Wednesday 22 Jul 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 11A 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   Portly chap, almost bare, dancing in stag do (8,5) BACHELOR PARTY {PORTLY+CHAp+BARE}*

8   Blast outside southern centre (5) BOSOM {BO{S}OM}

9   Rupee rose finally with high deficit fixed (9) RECTIFIED {R}{rosE}{DEFICIT}*

11 Security in the near future in local trains (10) C?L?A?E?A? (Addendum - COLLATERAL {COL{LATER}AL*} - See comments)

12 Record very revolutionary epic poem (4) EPOS {EP}{SO<=}

14 Asked deputy about arresting star (7) PLEADED {DEP<=}{ over {LEAD}

16 German rogue loses billion to become bankrupt (2,5) GO UNDER {G}{bOUNDER} 

17 Derisive racist raving about immigrants principally (7)  SATIRIC {SAT{Im...s}RIC*}

19 Feeling overwhelmed by loose motions (7) EMOTION [T]

21 Article about bovine animal's round part of nerve cell (4) AXON {A{OX<=}N}

22 Point on principle of uncertainty in obscure abstract (10) CONCEPTUAL {PT}{Un...y} in {CONCEAL}

25 Politician relaxes, lazily cuddling models (9) EXEMPLARS {MP} in {RELAXES}*

26 Leading man enthralled by American associate on date (5) AHEAD {A}{HE}{A}{D}

27 Make sexual advances in penthouse to very hot male inside (3,3,5,2) PUT THE MOVES ON {PENTHOUSE+TO+V}* over {M}

DOWN

2   Sailor loves rum! That's clear (7) ABSOLVE {AB}{LOVES}*

3   Launch of humorous, modern-day novel is definitely successful (4,3,3) HOME AND DRY {Hu...s}{MODERN+DAY}*

4   Enormous convict crushes jailor's toe on base (5) LARGE {LA{j...oR}G}{E}

5   Runs, developing elegant, primarily curvaceous figure (9) RECTANGLE {R}{ELEGANT+C}*

6   Like starters of assorted kebabs in nightclub (4) AKIN Acrostic

7   Stumbled in bar, extremely drunk (7) TRIPPED {T}{RIPPED}

8   Help attendant smuggling dope in the rectum (4,7) BACK PASSAGE {BACK}{{P{ASS}AGE}

10 Blunder resulting in debacle at premiere, director's annoyed (11) DISGRUNTLED {RESULTING}* in {De...e}{D}

13 Inappropriate, as tenant not paying rent might soon be? (3,2,5) OUT OF PLACE [DD]

15 Dressed to a T, co-ed hugs Rector giving highest university degree (9) DOCTORATE {TO+A+T+CO+ED}* over {R}

18 American philosopher's article about origin of universe captivating men (7) THOREAU {THE}{A}{Un...e} over {OR}

20 Routine changes before birth (2,5) IN UTERO*

23 Plastic is completely choking fish (5) CISCO [T]

24 Discharge from small scar (4) SPIT {S}{PIT}

Reference List

Southern = S, Rupee = R, Record = EP(Extended Play), Deputy = DEP, German = G, Billion = B, Point = PT, American = A, Associate = A, Date = D, Very = V, Male = M, Sailor = AB, Base = E, Runs = R, Bar = T, Director = D, Rector = R, About = A, Small = S

No 14851, Tuesday 21 Jul 2026, Dr. X

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   Go back to steal from oriental closet (8) WARDROBE {DRAW<=}{ROB}{E}

5   Problem mastering some subsidiary propositions (6) LEMMAS [T]

10 Shame about member getting absolute power (7) STAMINA {STA{M}IN}{A}

11 Encircle tortuous vein on radius (7) ENVIRON {VEIN+ON+R}*

12 Prince captivated by English show about fencing swords (5) EPEES {E}{P}{SEE<=}

 13 Flying insect going around a set is bothering persistently (7,2) GNAWING AT {GN{A}{WING}AT}

14 Little chance of finishing soon? Sigh! (2,3,2,5)  NO END IN SIGHT {SIGHt} Rebus

18 Pair agree on going astray with many in this? (4,8) OPEN MARRIAGE {PAIR+AGREE+ON+M}* Semi&lit

21 European star exercising after knocking back a drink in old Greek gymnasium (9) PALAESTRA {E}{STAR*}<=>{A LAP<=}

23 Greek character overwhelmed by viral pharyngitis (5) ALPHA [T]

24 Ran haphazardly during commotion in tempest (7) TORNADO {TO{RAN*}DO}

25 Toughening popular band consuming drugs at centre (7) INURING {IN}{drUgs}{RING}

26 Shelves with large borders (6) LEDGES {L}{EDGES}

27 Introduced new resident (8) INSERTED*

DOWN

1   Hunk hosting female freshened up (6) WASHED {WA{SHE}D}

2   Rise to embrace extremely desirable university lecturer (6) READER {REA{De...lE}R}

3   Managed to save one male crossing southern hill in deluge (9) RAINSTORM {RA{1}N}{M} over {S}{TOR}

4   Bohemian writers in club consuming ecstasy and dope are turning into rebels (4,10) BEAT GENERATION {B{E}AT}{GEN}{ARE<=}{INTO*}

6   Concluding stanza of poem by novice about leaving college (5) ENVOI NOVIcE*

7   Tense and quiet, crushed by additional loan (8) ?O?T?A?E (Addendum - MORTGAGE  {T}{GAG} in {MORE} - See comments)

8   Disinfect article with iodine in case (8) SANITATE {S{AN}{I}TATE}

9   Restoration of extremely ramshackle house outside Long Island (14) REHABILITATION {Ra...lE}{HABI{LI}TATION}

15 Distinctive mark of genius, art's remarkable (9) SIGNATURE*

16 Lots with a hip fracture here? (8) HOSPITAL {LOTS+A+HIP}* &lit

17 Sophisticated lady starts to laugh, becoming rather enthralled by marijuana (4-4) WELL-BRED {L}{La..h}{Be...g}{Ra...r} in {WEED}

19 Run special issue (6) SPRINT {S}{PRINT}

20 Bashed group grabbing girl on base (6) BANGED {BAN{G}{E}D}

22 Pick up rumour about onset of epidemic (5) ELATE {TALE<=}{Ep...c}

Reference List

Oriental = E, Member = M, Absolute = A, Radius = R, Prince = P, English = E, Many = M, European = E, Popular = IN, Large = L, Male = M, Southern = S, Hill = TOR, Ecstasy = E, College = C, Tense = T, Lady = L, Special = S, Girl = G, Base = E