No 14764, Friday 10 Apr 2026, Dr. X

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.

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

1   Auto part in British base stolen by brash crooks craftily (5,8) SHOCK ABSORBER {B}{E} in {BRASH+CROOKS}*}

8   Help to check small elementary particle (5) BOSON {BO{S}ON}

9   In agreement with old judge confining primarily obnoxious chaps from the right (2,3,4) OF ONE MIND {O}{F{Ob...s}{MEN<=}IND}

11 Contrived outrageous airlift to pick up spies (10) ARTIFICIAL {ARTIFI{CIA}L*}

12 Worry greatly about onset of epidemic (4) FEAR {F{Ep...c}AR}

14 Scold couple of associates receiving fine in Japanese city (7) NAGAOKA {NAG}{A}{OK}{A}

16 Knocking back second drink, jerk becomes pliable (7) ELASTIC {S}{ALE}<={TIC}

17 Fantastic in cameo, getting accolades (7) ENCOMIA*

19 Right time to break disorganised union's strike (3,4) RUN INTO {R} with {T} in {UNION}*

21 Agile secret agent catches leader of renegades (4) SPRY {SP{Re...s}Y}

22 Shrub in fancy patio outside popular lodge (10) POINSETTIA {PATIO}* over {IN}{SET}

25 Cheats to tackle university exam that's most tough (9) ROBUSTEST {ROB{U}S}{TEST}

26 Kid in extremely tense race (5) TRIBE {Ten{RIB}sE}

27 Deceptive behaviour in the comedy industry? (5,8) FUNNY BUSINESS [DD]

DOWN

2   Hack starts to tweet about generating keyword on social media (7) HASHTAG {HASH}{Tw..t}{About}{Ge...g}

3   Diseased cows on farm complicated situation (3,2,5) CAN OF WORMS*

4   Zodiac crashed, leaving 500 lifeless (5) AZOIC ZOdIAC*

5   Snicker about book by a catchphrase inventor (9) SLOGANEER {S{LOG}{A}NEER}

6   Starter of ravioli with fish roll (4) REEL {Ra...i}{EEL}

7   Famous American rapper releasing many new tracks at launch (7) EMINENT {EMINEm}{N}{Tr...s}

8   Problem in bar with siren going wild after consuming drink (5-6) BRAIN-TEASER {BAR+SIREN}*{ over {TEA}

10 Alarming discourse about extremely corrupt members of the board (11) DIRECTORATE {DIRE}{ORATE} over {Co...pT}

13 Cuts over umpire's head, getting century in Australian city (10) LAUNCESTON {LA{Um...r}NCES}{TON}

15 Couple of Americans outside bar wobble around in a weakened state (2,1,3,3) AT A LOW EBB {A}{T}{A}{WOBBLE*}

18 Reindeer in our cabin! Endlessly troublesome (7) CARIBOU {OUR+CABIn}*

20 Fools misbehave in retreat after consuming dope (7) NITWITS {SIN<=} over {TWIT}

23 Gentlemen at estate eating buns (5) NATES [T]

24 Small boy captivated by cool library ID (4) ISBN {I{S}{B}N}

Reference List

British = B, Base = E, Small = S, Associate = A, Second = S, Right = R, Time = T, Popular = IN, University = U, Kid = RIB, 500 = D, New = N, Century = TON, American = A, Bar = T, Small = S, Boy = B

No 14763, Thursday 09 Apr 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 21A 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   Began to sing in lorry, enthralled by drink (6,2) STRUCK UP {S{TRUCK}UP}

5   Prepare for major housing amendment (6) REFORM [T]

10 Guide in rough terrain (7) TRAINER*

11 Pep up in final, making a comeback after catch (7) HEARTEN {NET<=}<=>{HEAR}

12 A little lamp in back row's illuminated again (5) RELIT {Lamp} in {TIER<=}

13 Racing with caution on essentially dangerous circuit (9) CAREERING {CARE}{d..gEr..s}{RING}

14 What bats will do to remain united (4,8) HANG TOGETHER [C&DD]

18 Emphatic about criminal being unstable (12) INCONSISTENT {IN{CON}SISTENT}

21 Disastrous match! Coming to grips with primarily shocking collapse (9) D?S?E?A?R () 

23 Rude lady breaks heart, goes round with model (5) BLUNT {NU{L}B<=}{T}

24 Kind of stop without electronic tollgate perhaps (7) GLOTTAL TOLLGATe*

25 Small amount of dope after a little meth in endless party (7) SMIDGEN {GEN}<=>{S{Meth}IDe}

26 British sailors in foreign isle, extremely matey (6) LIMEYS {ISLE+MateY}*

27 Despicable boy advanced to ensnare good girl (8) BEGGARLY {B}{E{G}{G}ARLY}

DOWN

1   Lampoon American involved in agitation on base (6) SATIRE {S{A}TIR}{E}

2   Truly perk up after consuming ecstasy (6) REALLY {R{E}ALLY}

3   Pressurise with rooks on column (9) CONSTRAIN {CONS}{TRAIN}

4   Unidentifiable bag in enclosure, suspicious (14) UNRECOGNISABLE*

6   Remove saree naughtily (5) ERASE*

7   Completely unacceptable massage by houseguest on vacation (8) OUTRIGHT {OUT}{RIG}{Ho...sT}

8   Cribs about primarily arrogant administrators (8) MANAGERS {MAN{Ar...t}GERS}

9   Secures fantastic sandwiches, tart and bit of tiramisu for dessert (9,5) CHARLOTTE RUSSE {SECURES}* over {HARLOT}{Ti...u}

15 Honouring Lennon with big bust (9) ENNOBLING {LENNON+BIG}*

16 Did 'Lungi Dance' in Indian city (8) DINDIGUL*

17 Blizzard in sector, I'm worried (3,5) ICE STORM*

19 Need enormous runs to win final of competition (6) HUNGER {HUGE}{R} over {c...oN}

20 Error to retain tenor, extremely grumpy and mean (6) STINGY {S{T}IN}{GrumpY}

22 Contestant wanting special watch (5) ENTRY sENTRY

Reference List

Drink = SUP, Final = NET, Criminal = CON, Lady = L, Model = T, Dope = GEN, Boy = B, Good = G, Girl = G, American = A, Base = E, Ecstasy = E, Rooks = CONS, Runs = R, Tenor = T, Special = S