No 14941, Thursday 05 Nov 2026, Avtaar

Solution to 18A 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   It is like hell when husband's fired by present coach (6) EREBUS {hERE}{BUS}

5   Yankee tie, crest and official garments (5-3) STAND-OFF [T]

9   Dope is worthless - contains adulterated musk (8) NUMSKULL {N{MUSK*}ULL}

10 Double-woven blouse, extremely lacy, worn by women (3-3) TWO-PLY TOP}{LacY} over {W}

11 Bubbly unopened alcohol is toted after the start in sign of childhood camaraderie (3,6,3) OLD SCHOOL TIE {aLCOHOL+IS+tOTED}*

13 Ducks in a row? (4) PAIR [CD]

14 12 eggs found in nobleman's jacket - issue being reviewed (8) NOONTIME {00} in {No...aN}{EMIT<=}

17 Vocal and essentially cynical freak subject to emotional fits (8) VOLCANIC {VOCAL+cyNICal}*

18 75% of 14 is 5 less? (4) N?N?  

20 Reserve hospital taken over by sick senior civil servant? (6-6) OFFICE-HOLDER {ICE}{H} in {OFF}{OLDER}

23 Actor undressed completely going for a vivid Asian wrap (6) SARONG {S{ActoR}ONG}

24 Restraining covert operation about suffering (8) STILLING {ST{ILL}ING}

25 Bust without head, feels very hard (8) SEVERELY {fEELS+VERY}*

26 Time for cold drink and sweet (6) TOFFEE (+t-c)TOFFEE

DOWN

2   Hammer ball into channel (4) ROUT {R{O}UT}

3   See black rat entering complex seconds away from crisis (9) BISHOPRIC {B} and {SHOP} in {CRIsIs}*

4   Obstinate Republican boards train (6) STURDY {STU{R}DY}

5   Silly Conservative focuses on reforms with intense third party scrutiny (4-11) SELF-CONSCIOUSLY {SILLY+C+FOCUSES+ON}*

6   Class of anemones cultured in a zoo that wants it (8) ANTHOZOA {iN+A+ZOO+THAt}*}

7   All orderlies in retreat drinking rum (5) DROLL [T<=]

8   British daily featuring extremely unusual, shortened clip on soldiers' execution (10) FULFILMENT {FT} over {Un...aL}{FILm}{MEN}

12 Reached outside old University with standard mask (10) CAMOUFLAGE {CAM{O}{U}{FLAG}E}

15 Instruction for band members in centrefold, briefly edited (5,4) TENOR CLEF CENTREFOLd*

16 First to go out, believing bum's sweet talk (8) INVEIGLE bELIEVING*

19 Aimless commercial break (6) ADRIFT {AD}{RIFT}

21 1-0; United (2,3) IN ONE {1}{NONE}

22 Regularly connected in the past (4) ONCE {cOnNeCtEd}

Reference List

Husband = H, Women = W, Reserve = ICE, Hospital = H, Time = T, Cold = C, Black = B, Rat = SHOP, Second = S, Republican = R, Conservative = C, Soldiers = MEN, Old = O, University = U, Commercial = AD

No 14940, Wednesday 04 Nov 2026, Hypatia

Solution to 20A 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

8   Play fine part briefly - extremely iconic (6) FROLIC {F}{ROLe}{Ic..iC}

9   Merchants on the net using real site (8) ETAILERS*

10 Lots of restrictions on department made redundant by outsourcing (10) BANGALORED {BAN}{GALORE}{D} Lots or Lot? POS Error?

11 Basically every villain is legitimately wicked (4) EVIL Acrostic

12 Cheesy style of posh folk visiting city with money (2,6)  AU GRATIN {A{U}GRA}{TIN}

14 Arrested and posted by leader, moving a step ahead (6) NAILED (-m+n)NAILED

15 Lover and acquaintance entered by porch (7) VERANDA [T]

17 Dad gathering items for hobby (7) PASTIME {PA}{ITEMS*}

20 Sharply criticise one distorting opinion? (6) ?K?W?R (Addendum - SKEWER [DD] - See comments) 

22 America fighting war mostly leads to inequitable arrangement (1,3,4) A RAW DEAL {A}{RAW+LEADs}*

24 Beam in round cycles (4) GRIN (+g)GRIN(-g)

25 Check in and back off (7,3) CHICKEN OUT {CHECK+IN}* [RA]

27 Stench of onion, initially eaten by guy - almost forbidding (5) MALODOUR {On..n} in {MALe}{DOUR}

28 Dismissed former English parliamentarian close to cabinet (6) EXEMPT {EX}{E}{MP}{c...eT}

DOWN

1   Hold dear darling (8) TREASURE [DD]

2   Primarily slimy, like ugly garden creature (4) SLUG Acrostic Semi&lit

3   Occasionally touch Elliott's cat (6) OCELOT {tOuCh+ElLiOtTs}

4   Spooner's smelly bag charm, say (7) KEYRING (reeking to key ring)

5   Najeeb and Ann always wearing headscarf (8) BANDANNA [T]

6   Relieved engineer in vital deal abroad (10) ALLEVIATED* {E} in {VITAL+DEAL}*

7   Maverick actor's voyage (6) CRUISE [DD]

13 Stern woman whose husband died bored by new movie (4,6) REAR WINDOW {REAR}{WI{N}DOW}

16 IT record encrypted for supervisor (8) DIRECTOR*

18 My bad clue: "A map unfolds" (3,5) MEA CULPA* I somehow hate this wxpression. Do we have a 'My Good' also :-) ?

19 Some retiring from the RBI lack competence (7) CALIBRE [T<=]

21 After dusk, frequently picked up small ethnic outfits (6) KURTAS {AfTeR+dUsK<=}{S}

23 Jewellery taken out worn by girl ultimately (6) ANKLET {ANK{girL}ET*}

26 Newcomer agitated this tree crow (4) NEEM {NEEM+CROW}*=NEWCOMER

Reference List

Fine = F, Posh folk = U, Money = TIN, English = E, Engineer = E, New = N, Small = S