No 14870, Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, Arden

Solution to 26A 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   Fools stay home, he takes them out (8) ASSASSIN {ASS}{ASS}{IN}

5   Even America is all gas (6) FLATUS {FLAT}{US}

10 Organic material around here in the centre is bone (7) HUMERUS {HUM{hERe}US}

middle — could also be a starter (7) RAVIOLI {dRAVId}{sOLId}

12 Woman or man in the opera (5) NORMA [T]

13 Downturn with fish diminishing (9) DWINDLING {D}{WIND}{LING}

14 "Press 4", most of them say (6,6) FOURTH ESTATE {FOUR}{THEm}{STATE}

18 Chester Allen cooked mushrooms (12) CHANTERELLES*

21 It may follow Bobby on duty (6,3) POLICE DOG {DOG}<=>{POLICE} Semi&lit

23 Change by shuffling at the top in the future (5) ALTER (L<=>A}ALTER

24 Tear off layer of mud (7) EARTHEN {TEAR*}{HEN}

25 Do second language from first grade (7) SHINDIG {S}{HINDI}{Gr..e}

26 Ring in place, digging out the odd bits (6) S?G?E?  

27 It receives a call for help like by day's end showing geological balance (8) ISOSTASY {I{SOS}T}{AS}{daY}

DOWN

1   Since then, invested the capital (6) ATHENS {A{THEN}S}

2   Doctor punctures boil, it's serious (6) SOMBRE {SO{MB}RE}

3   Go through and through the tap — it's open (6,3) SPREAD OUT {SP{READ}OUT}

4   Home team call to cover shoot up is illegal (7,7) INSIDER TRADING {IN}{SIDE}{R{DART<=}ING}

6   Place 4 in sealed cover and cross (5) LIVID {L{IV}ID}

7   Left uprising — Indian state is hot and humid (8) TROPICAL {PORT<=}{I}{CAL}

8   Rash with ones hard to go through (8) SHINGLES {S{H}INGLES}

9   Gold and tin brought up by lifts — keeping record of those who study birds (14) ORNITHOLOGISTS {OR}{TIN<=}{HO{LOG}ISTS}

15 Plots scores in a random fashion (9) SCENARIOS*

16 Drains for meals eaten cold (8) SCUPPERS {S{C}UPPERS}

17 Cow to crow about accomplice (8) BALLYRAG {B{ALLY}RAG}

19 Somehow assimilated but miles away from grounds (6) STADIA ASsImilATsD*

20 Scream over a horse that's ragged (6) CRAGGY {CR{A}{GG}Y}

22 Fish for business turn over (5) COHOE {CO}{HOE}

Reference List

Home = IN, Down = D, Second = S, Doctor = MB, Indian = I, Hard = H, Cold = C, Horse = GG, Business = CO

No 14869, Tuesday 11 Aug 2026, Arden

Solution to 21D 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   Run over chasing main pirate (3,4) SEA WOLF {FLOW<=}<=>{SEA}

5   Ran around carrying oil through a cloud of gas and dust (7) NEBULAR {RA{LUBE}N}<= Wordplay leads to {RAN<=} over {LUBE}

9   In the plan aims to accommodate a verandah (5) LANAI [T]

10 On record it is a complaint (9) ENTERITIS {ENTER}{IT}{IS}

11 In an extremely wretched way, getting through with modest investment in a year (9) ABYSMALLY {BY}{SMALL} in {A}{Y} 

12 Panic on seeing some of these figures (5) ICONS [T]

13 Reward if leader goes for duty (4) ONUS bONUS

15 Worries about touring team's ID badges (4,4) NAME TAGS {N{TEAM*}AGS}

18 Passionate check over macho males (8) VEHEMENT {VE{HE MEN}T}

19 Animal brought back in a rush (4) REED<=

22 True male specialty (5) REALM {REAL}{M}

24 Sadness on coping with any misbehaviour (9) POIGNANCY {COPING+ANY}*

26 Original art, new nation follows American actor (9) TARANTINO {ART*}{NATION*}

27 Love putting our middle name in front (5) AMOUR {OUR}<=>{nAMe}

28 Sunday worship helps farmers (7) SPRAYER {S}{PRAYER}

29 Refuse to return and receive attention one longed for (7) YEARNED {DENY<=} over {EAR}

DOWN

1   Extremely scary, left in front amid all the trees (6) SYLVAN {ScarY}{L}{VAN}

2   Anyone can get agitated and show displeasure (9) ANNOYANCE*

3   Number starts with one — payment is usually monthly (5) OPIUM Acrostic

4   Independent cover up inland (9) FREELANCE {FR{LEE<=}ANCE}

5   Trendy Times in denial (5) NATTY {NA{T}{T}Y}

6   Counsel picks up knight in exchange (9) BARRISTER {BAR{SIR<=}TER}

7   Besotted bachelor goes for a game of chance (5) LOTTO bLOTTO

8   Counter is found among others (6) RESIST {RES{IS}T}

14 First thing needed for business growth (4,5) SEED MONEY [CD]

16 Many houses fit only for marriage (9) MATRIMONY {MA{TRIM}{O}NY}

17 Party with Trump as an apprentice (9) GREENHORN {GREEN}{HORN}

20 Bottom string for instrument picked up for free (6) GRATIS {s...nG}{SITAR<=}

21 Happy birthday, missing at compound (6) ?Y?R?D ()

23 Dry outside on the clothesline (5) AIRER {AI{RE}R}

24 He assisted the abbot earlier (5) PRIOR [DD]

25 In Tuscany, a large animal is found (5) NYALA [T]

Reference List

Year = Y, Male = M, Sunday = S, Left = L, in front = VAN, Time = T, Bachelor = B, Only = O, On = RE