No 14864, Wednesday 05 Aug 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 3D 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   A purer gent styled in an engrossing novel (4-6) PAGE-TURNER*

9   Missing nothing, only killing by a wild cat (4) LYNX {oNLY}*{X}

10 Harry renounced truth about English criminal (5-3-7) UNDER-THE-COUNTER {RENOUNCED+TRUTH}* over {E}

11 Small side around river or brook (6) STREAM {S}{T{R}EAM}

12 Looks after terms of service for drunkards (8) TOSSPOTS {SPOTS}<=>{TOS}

14 Basic unit in Excel layout! (4) CELL [T]

15 Bleak day's back (5) DREAR {D}{REAR}

16 Time to run with English knight for expedition (4) TREK {T}{R}{E}{K}

17 Drive of the majority wanting small personal sacrifices! Public relations! (8) MOTIVATE {MOsT}{prIVATE}

18 Chinese silk cloth from some sponge extract (6) PONGEE [T]

19 Bury to pass stage one at England, amongst universities (15) INTERCOLLEGIATE {INTER}{COL}{LEG}{1}{AT}{E}

21 Untidiness of officer's eating place (4) MESS [DD]

22 Work during days, more confident about following one who sails on board (10) WINDSURFER {W}{IN}{D}{SUR{F}ER}

DOWN

1   Done with parent shifts! Taking time to have fun in open! (5,3,4,3) PAINT THE TOWN RED  {DONE+WITH+PARENT}* over {T}

2   Seen as a relieved kind of affliction (8,7) VENEREAL DISEASE*

3   Head's cut time to call, left out AV, for example (10) ?U?T?M?D?A (Addendum - MULTIMEDIA {MULl}{TIME}{DIAl} - See comments)

4   Bug checker with nil pretences! Let about! (6,9)  INSECT REPELLENT*

5   So involved in greater good (4) ERGO [T]

6   Ambassador of India, powerful in general (15) PLENIPOTENTIARY {I}{POTENT}{I} in {PLENARY} Second I from?

7   Heard 'Nehru' tweet translated poorly (5,3,7) UNDER THE WEATHER*

13 Demi Moore's movie lines, model for cold naturalness (10) STRIPTEASE {STRIP}{T}{EASE}  (Correction - {S(-c+t)TRIPT}{EASE} - See comments)

20 Intimidate with large hood (4) COWL {COW}{L}

Reference List

By = X, English = E, Small = S, River = R, Day = D, Time = T, Run = R, Knight = K, Public relations = PR, Pass = COL, England = E, Work = W, Following = F, India = I, Model = T, Cold = C, Large = L

No 14863, Tuesday 04 Aug 2026, Vidwan

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

7   Noble lion killed for piece of beef (7) SIRLOIN {SIR}{LION*}

8   Small food shop with good, hot slice of taco! That is Joy! (7) DELIGHT {DELI}{G}{H}{Taco}

10 Better if solicitor spends time with head of monastery at church (8) OUTMATCH {tOUT}{Mo...y}{AT}{CH}

11 America about to tax entry (6)  ACCESS {A}{C}{CESS}

12 Vicky spent time in kitchen, prepared Ukrainian delicacy (7,4) CHICKEN KYIV {VICKY+KItCHEN}*

15 Housing for the poorest, fifty in total (4) SLUM {S{L}UM}

17 Curtsy King and Knight with bare heels (5) KNEEL {K}{N}{hEEls}

18 Bay blowing cold smell (4) R?E? (Addendum - REEK cREEK - See comments)

19 Ruth got cash distributed for having an urgent universal urge for relief (6,5) CAUGHT SHORT*

22 Scream - an animation movie about India (6) SHRIEK {SHR{I}EK}

23 Vigorous Chelsea occasionally occupying space at the top (8) ATHLETIC {AT{cHeLsEa}TIC}

25 Dirty as beer fermented with piece of meat (7) BESMEAR {AS+BEER+Meat}* 

26 Second revolt over England withdrawing basic rail support (7) SLEEPER {S}{REP{E}EL<=}

DOWN

1   Tiny men in America, run away from cruel fights (9) MINUSCULE {M}{IN}{US}CrUEL*}

2   Boot past student, possibly out on a limb (6)  ALUMNI {ALUMNI+BOOT}*=OUT ON A LIMB

3   Means racket time (4) DINT {DIN}{T}

4   Coy sculler regularly participating in swimming games for unit (10) MEGACYCLES {CoY+sCuLlEr} in {GAMES}*

5   Just not following chapter on B-52 support for ground troops, for instance (3,5) AIR COVER {fAIR}{C}{OVER}

6   Leader of Xanadu, has fights over love for some African language (5) XHOSA {Xa...u}{H{O}SA*}

9   Kind of cloud below, he almost gets in the puff (11) THUNDERHEAD {TH{UNDER}{He}E}{AD}

13 Revolutionary British King and Luxembourg Knight plan faceless American supremacist organisation (2,4,4) KU KLUX KLAN {UK<=}{K}{LUX}{K}{pLAN}

14 Related to troubles in red tape (9)  PERTAINED*

16 Manliness? Male suffering, for the most part, is minute and ordinary! (8) MACHISMO {M}{ACHe}{IS}{M}{O}

20 Old boy looked and followed (6) OBEYED {OB}{EYED}

21 Trace quiet communist (5) SHRED {SH}{RED}

24 Dance and haul away (4) HULA*

Reference List

Good = G, Hot = H, Time = T, Church = CH, America = A, About = C, Fifty = L, King = K, Knight = N, Cold = C, India = I, Second = S, England = E, Men = M, Run = R, Following = F, Chapter = C, Puff = AD, Knight = K, Male = M, Minute = M, Ordinary = O, Old boy = OB, Quiet = SH