No 14690, Tuesday 13 Jan 2026, Gridzilla

Solution to 10D 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   High in just one drink? (6) STONED [T]

4   In retrospect, some can't set a limit with it (6) LATEST [T<=]

8   Put off by boring title song (7) DELAYED {DE{LAY}ED}

9   If nothing else, eat salt at sea (2,5) AT LEAST*

11 After sex change, became more cheerful or panicky? (10) FRIGHTENED (-b+f)FRIGHTENED 

12 Always strong at heart (4) EVER sEVERe

13 Fun subject describing how to get off a mailing list, briefly (5) UNSUB [T]

14 Got on board an old vessel to fix nets (8) EMBARKED {EMB{ARK}ED}

16 Agreed with ladies at base (3,1,4) ITS A DEAL*

18 Teaching remains unchanged, written in English or Arabic (5) TENET <=>

20 Went back a long way (4) DEEP<=

21 How to make tension permanent? (3,2,5) SET IN STONE {TENSION}* [RA]

23 One is involved in stocks and accounts (7) STORIES {STOR{1}ES}

24 Noteworthy island capital - one situated in Asia, basically (7) NICOSIA Acrostic &lit

25 Mountain in Germany having one way to go over (6) DENALI {D}{LANE<=}{1} ( Correction {D}{1+ LANE<=} - See comments)

26 Mother dear set out to save daughter (6) TERESA {dEAR+SET}*

DOWN

1   Steep cut announced (5) SHEER (~shear)

2   Fruit obtained from fields near ocean (7) ORANGES {RANGES}<=>{O} O/Ocean?

3   Charming Democrat's running and likely to be voted in (9) ELECTABLE dELECTABLE

5   After cycling, poet fed the kitty (5) ANTED (-d)ANTE(+d)D

6   Reportedly, writer's most uninterested in contacts, etc (7) EYEWEAR {(~i)EYE}{WEARy}

7   A type of foodie challenge with eats you can bank on? (5,4) TASTE TEST {EATS}* [Letter Bank]

10 Where can you possibly see Ali, as a matter of fact? (2,7) ?N ?E?L?T? 

13 Turned up to have lunch - That's natural (9) UNTREATED {UNTER{EAT}ED*}

15 Bane of one tribe at war with enemy essentially (4,5) BETE NOIRE {ONE+TRIBE+enEmy}*

17 Endless craving for drug (7) ASPIRIN ASPIRINg

19 Spooner's point? Nothing is taboo! (3,4) NOT DONE (dot none to not done)

21 Man in market supplies perfume (5) SMELL {S{M}ELL}

22 Currency of Iran collapsed, followed by agitations primarily (5) NAIRA {IRAN}*{Ag...s}

Reference List

Song = LAY, Sex = B(oy), F(emale), Germany = D, Daughter = D, Democrat = D, Man = M

No 14689, Monday 12 Jan 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 7D 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   One who reproves sozzled pub attacker (9) UPBRAIDER {PUB*}{RAIDER}

10 Under new form of hate (5) NEATH {N}{HATE*}

11 Universal good and a new person like Idi Amin (7) UGANDAN {U}{G}{AND}{A}{N}

12 Almost induce twitch and burning (7) CAUSTIC {CAUSe}{TIC}

13 Not ok! Taunting love! It is wrong, cold and bigoted! (10) JINGOISTIC {JokING}{O}{IT+IS}*{C}

14 First class backward place (4) TOPS<=

16 Lady there perhaps with sadness (15) BROKENHEARTEDLY {LADY+THERE}* [RA]

20 Flair in Semite languages (4) ELAN [T]

21 Climbing and thieving one art club rag, perhaps (3,7) CAT BURGLAR* 

25 Medieval dynasty welcomed English royal, a deadly killer of yore (7) CHOLERA {CHOL{E}{R}A}

26 A timeline followed by Santa, leaving small city in USA (7) ATLANTA {A}{T}{L}{sANTA}

27 Maharishi Vashishta's a yogi! (5) SHIVA [T]

28 Honours contract mostly and millions rain! (9) HAILSTORM {HAILS}{TORn}{M}

DOWN

1   Dishing out PJ in bar is a plan to deceive (3-2,3) PUT-UP JOB {OUT+PJ}* in {PUB}

2   Get old British coach right away! (6) OBTAIN {O}{B}{TrAIN}

3   Large and royal, complete car (9) LANDROVER {L}{AND}{R}{OVER}

4   American professor is a handsome young man (6) ADONIS {A}{DON}{IS}

5   Parasite! Star kid regularly ignored friend! (8) TRICHINA {sTaR+kId}{CHINA}

6   Trunk made of tin on sale (5) SNOUT {SN}{OUT} On sale = OUT?

7   Choke vehicular capacity, perhaps for dark chocolate! (8) ?A?T?O?D (Addendum - CARTLOAD {CARTLOAD+CHOKE}*=DARK CHOCLATE [CA] - See comments))

8   Sips drinks hot bearing a disappointing expression (6) SHUCKS {S{H}UCKS}

15 Clean lid, possibly for distilleries (9) STERILISE {STERILISE+LID}*=DISTILLERIES

17 Talk for the most part on love, endless turmoil and a piece of religious music (8) ORATORIO {ORATe}{O}{RIOt}

18 Ambassador, a backsliding scoundrel, he's a typical pain! (8) HEADACHE {HE}{A}{CAD<=}{HE}

19 Overturned horse cart with hands and parts of a sail (8) YARDARMS {DRAY<=}{ARMS}

20 Starts to exploit new chartered accountant, someone hedging to make money (6) ENCASH Acrostic

22 Black reptile returns, covering distance of an Amazonian state (6) BRAZIL {B}{LIZARd} D/Distance?

23 Tongues caught in roiling osculation (6) LINGOS [T]

24 One who runs back to run through again (5) RECAP<=

Reference List

New = N, Universal = U, Good = G, Cold = C, English = E, Royal = R, Time = T, Line = L, Small = S, Millions = M, Old = O, British = B, Right = R, Large = L, Hot = H, Ambassador = HE, Black = B