No 14696, Wednesday 21 Jan 2026, Arden

Solution to 22D 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

9   Crucify people in the wrong (7) TORMENT {TOR{MEN}T}

10 Empty vessel interrupting a game (7) PARKOUR {P{ARK}OUR}

11 Part of steel bonnet to reclaim honour (7) ENNOBLE [T<=]

12 Protected circle giving the glad eye (7) LEERING {LEE}{RING}

13 The devil gets credit - is he looking after the church affairs? (9) SACRISTAN {SA{CR}{IS}TAN}

15 Game on a flat dry ground (5) PLAYA {PLAY}{A}

16 First of all, can you prevent the commotion over a Greek dialect? (7) CYPRIOT {Can}{You}{Pr...t}{RIOT} What's the role of OVER?

19 Serious listener's abode (7) EARNEST {EAR}{NEST}

20 Ridicule the occasional calumny in Times (5) TAUNT {T}{cAlUmNy}{T}

21 Overwhelmed as association lets us in (9) AWESTRUCK {AS}{TRUCK} over {WE}

25 Containers for clubs' bearers, perhaps (7) CADDIES [DD]

26 Is he against work? That's the question (7) OPPOSER {OP}{POSER}

28 Blimp goes abroad - Paris gets a greeting (7) AIRSHIP {AIRS{HI}P*}

29 Advance permits arranged (7) IMPREST*

DOWN

1   Afterwards put in a small capital (6) ATHENS {A}{THEN}{S}

2   Satirical contents - bird song, nice? (6) IRONIC {bIRd}{sONg}{nICe}

3   "Press one for superb"- at the end of it all, one is European (4) SERB Tail Acrostic

4   Declare it's time to stop a match (6) ATTEST {T} in {A}{TEST}

5   Cry in the past about grandeur (8) OPULENCE {O{PULE}NCE}

6   Booze on the house for a Bohemian (4,6) FREE SPIRIT [DD]

7   Mention about accepting a label (8) NOMINATE {NOMIN{A}TE*}

8   Show off lifted dress label right inside (8) BRAGGART {GARB<=}{T{R}AG<=} Reversal indicator in the wrong place

14 Visual alarm - activate it and I hit gold! (5,5) IDIOT LIGHT  {IT+I+HIT+GOLD}* 

16 A whale perhaps can protect an alien one (8) CETACEAN {C{ET}{ACE}AN}

17 Rifles - please store below (8) PLUNDERS {PL{UNDER}S} 

18 Patterns used in the arm of a church (8) TRANSEPT* 

22 Foreign state having eat set up (6) E?O?I? {Addendum - EXOTIC {CIT{OX}E<=} See comments) Should have been NEAT and not EAT

23 Bad result from Northern Ireland (6) ULSTER*

24 Take care to disrobe - fancy sport? (6) KARATE {TAKE+cARe}* 

27 Story teller's keeping quiet about the bishop of Rome (4) POPE {PO{P}E}

Reference List

Wrong = TORT, Protected = LEE, Credit = CR, Time = T, Association = TRUCK, Work = OP, Small = S, Right = R, Alien = ET, Please = PL, Quiet = P

No 14695, Tuesday 21 Jan 2026, Arden

Solution to 14D 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   Old revolutionary had plenty to provide cover (6) CLOTHE {C{LOT}HE}

4   Going over the top alone is tough, boss (2,6) AL CAPONE {AL{CAP}ONE}

9   A good essay about a port (6) ODESSA [T]

10 Title restricted to those who are not too old, perhaps (8) BARONAGE {BAR ON AGE}

12 Ending the last four months on a luxury ship — a capital chap (8) BERLINER {BER}{LINER}

13 Discontented judge takes a month to find one innocent (6) JEJUNE {JudgE}{JUNE}

15 State the law to be heard at the racing venue (12) INDIANAPOLIS {INDIANA}{(~police)POLIS)

18 After may be brief call, net working — capable of double refraction (12) BIREFRINGENT {BRIEF*}{RING}{NET*} New word for me

21 First breakthrough — a gate crash will land one in hot water (3,3) TEA BAG {Br...h+A+GATE}*

22 Work can be cultivated all around — lovely! (8) ADORABLE {A{DO}RABLE}

24 Destined for gold — patience oddly missing during days outside... (8) ORDAINED {OR}{D}{pAtIeNcE}{D}

25 ...or during service imbroglio (6) MORASS {M{OR}ASS}

26 Cover for 60 seconds stopping dead (8) LAMINATE {L{A MIN}ATE}

27 Harry asks to include a name of state (6) KANSAS {K{A}{N}SAS*}

DOWN

1   Boast a bit about a worn-out horse (4-4) CROW-BAIT {CROW}{A+BIT}*

2   I've order to refuse bypass (8) OVERRIDE*

3   Correct path is isolation to get medical care (15) HOSPITALISATION*

5   Conduct in front (4) LEAD [DD]

6   The malady that ensures people are on a six-an-over disposition (8,7) ANOREXIA NERVOSA* Semi&lit? For a word like this the definition could have been a bit more precise than just Malady

7   Work on a what, in Spain? Not clear at all (6) OPAQUE {OP}{A}{QUE}

8   Every essential equipment empties into a hole (6) EYELET {EverY}{Es...aL}{Eq...nT}

11 Song indeed is late (7) DELAYED {DE{LAY}ED}

14 Hand over in-laws to a fellow traveller (7) ?O?R?D? (Addendum - COMRADE {CO{ARM<=}DE} - See comments) 

16 Is able to switch partners with tribades (8) LESBIANS {IS+ABLE}*{N}{S}

17 Like to restrict work — it's the doubting Thomases (8) ATHEISTS {AS} over {ITS+THE}*

19 Walk-way on top of list (6) STROLL {ST}{ROLL}

20 Timed naturally while some of them rise together (6) TANDEM [T<=]

23 Festivity said to be for an achievement (4) FEAT (~fete) US and British pronunciations of FETE are totally different

Reference List

Work = DO, Gold = OR, Day = D, Name = N, Work = OP, What in Spanish = QUE, Song = LAY, Partners = N(orth),S(outh) in Card game Bridge, Way = ST, List = ROLL