No 14821, Tuesday 16 Jun 20266, Dr. X

Solution to 24 A 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   Fail to impress female? Totally overweight after gaining pounds (4,4) FALL FLAT {F}{ALL}{F{L}AT}

5   Save share certificate to receive money (6) SCRIMP {SCRI{M}P}

10 Resume painting after break (7) RESTART {ART}<=>{REST}

11 Special talent of performer behind revolutionary special effects (1,6) X FACTOR {ACTOR}<=>{FX} rev

12 Personnel in academy checking nuclear physics device (5) LINAC [T]

13 Consuming drink, sailor played cards (9) ORIGINALS {ORI{GIN}ALS*}

14 Position providing a clear view of singer at ground entertaining team (8,4) RINGSIDE SEAT {SINGER+AT}* over {SIDE} Semi&lit

18 Most innocent groups broken by swindler primarily getting control of finances (5,7) PURSE STRINGS {PUR{Sw...r}EST}{RINGS}

21 One at the helm of small steamer moving close to lagoon (9) STEERSMAN {S}{STEAMER*}{l...oN}

23 Old lady having constant fatigue, finally better (5) EXCEL {EX}{C}{f...uE}{L}

24 Popular detective inspector penning book about foremost of criminals (7) D?M?T?C ()

25 Tell about liaison with model giving satisfaction (7) SATIETY {SA{TIE}{T}Y}

26 Criminal cut fellow's part of outer ear (6) CONCHA {CON}{CHAp}

27 Bind together granite rocks containing sulphur (8) ASTRINGE {A{S}TRINGE*}

DOWN

1   In spite of slump, acquires gold (3,3) FOR ALL {F{OR}ALL}

2   Missing error in journal (6) LOSING {LO{SIN}G}

3   Husband lives in European country? Right (9) FRANCHISE {FRANC{H}{IS}E}

4   Ability to tolerate unpleasant things is a result of doing sit-ups? (1,6,7) A STRONG STOMACH [DD]

6   Raccoon-like animal in bed, biting a kid at centre (5) COATI {CO{A}T}{kId}

7   Endlessly nattering about private communications system (8) INTRANET NATTERINg*

8   Hanger-on in usual spot, drinking alcohol at premiere (8) PARASITE {PAR}{Al...l}{SITE}

9   Show-offs, both in sixties, romping around island (14) EXHIBITIONISTS {BOTH IN SIXTIES} over {I}

15 One seen in kitchen, say, above good British diner (9) EGG BEATER {EGG}{G}{B}{EATER}

16 Picaresque novel is copied (8) EPISODIC*

17 American economist fired reckless fellow (8) FRIEDMAN {FIRED*}{MAN}

19 Observed stealing crown in disguise (6) SCREEN {S{CR}EEN}

20 Twisted ankle, crossing ultimately slippery compound (6) ALKYNE {ALK{s...rY}NE*}

22 Mechanical device stolen by robber at chalet (5) RATCH [T]

Reference List

Female = F, Pounds = L, Money = M, Special effects = FX, Small = S, Old = EX, Lady = L, Constant = C, Model = T, Husband = H, Island = I, Good = G, British = B, Crown = CR

No 14820, Monday 15 June 2026, Afterdark

 Solution to 27 A 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.

Standing-in for Colonel today.

ACROSS

1 Assume that a piano expert's press release is having one worried (11) APPROPRIATE {A}{P}{PRO}{PR}{I}{ATE}

9 It's tricky to contain West Indies with force on time quickly (7) SWIFTLY {S{WI}{F}{T}LY}

10 Tails of rhinoceros, cheetah, impala, lizard, kangaroo, cow, hippopotamus are tails (7) SHADOWS [Tail Acrostic]

11 Man wearing hat is shoddy (5) CHEAP {C{HE}AP}

12 Collected grant? Heard wrongly outside(9) HARVESTED {VEST} inside {HEARD}*

13 One having primarily rugged muscles, horses perhaps (5) ARABS {A}{Rugged}{ABS}

15 Report on plight faced by people with temperature (9) STATEMENT {STATE}{MEN}{T}

18 Old tax I have is too much (9) EXCESSIVE {EX}{CESS}{I'VE}

21 From the time the French seceded, its quiet (5) SINCE {SIleNCE}

22 Don angrily poses for reforms first (9) PROFESSOR {POSES FOR Reforms}*

24 Kisses Nora, Erica, Carol, Kate, Susan on the heads (5) NECKS {Acrostic]

26 Stage of surgeon! (7) THEATRE [CD]

27 Say, Ivy was 151 metres last year-end (7) C?I?B?R CLIMBER {CLI}{M}{BE}{yeaR} See comments

28 Country handles rent haphazardly(11) NETHERLANDS*

DOWN

1 Partner's a saint, hence spies cantered essentially (9) ASSOCIATE {A}{S}{SO}{CIA}{canTEred}

2 Prince's journey gave satisfaction (5) PRIDE {P}{RIDE}

3 Say, MNCs upset COO terribly on Saturday (9) OCTOPUSES {UPSET COO}*{S}

4 Beats HR myths extraordinarily (7) RHYTHMS*

5 Playing sitar at one university in European country (7) AUSTRIA {SITAR}* <=> {A}{U}

6 Searches area covering from south to north for excise (5) ERASE [T<]

7 Relating to a direction, the Royal Navy follows shogun intermittently (8) SOUTHERN {THE}{RN}<=>{ShOgU}

8 Second-hand bus Edward secured (4) USED [T]

14 Tied up with a routine overnight and essentially intense day (8) ANCHORED {A}{N}{CHORE}{D} "Essentially intense" superfluous

16 Principal with teens sail at sea (9) ESSENTIAL*

17 Heartless trader promises to detain apprentice ultimately and release son for money (9) TREASURES {TradeR}{apprenticE}{ASsURES}

19 Audit in school, physical education coach initially faces tempo (7) INSPECT {IN}{S}{PE}{Coach}{T}

20 Painful condition is clear, AC here is suffocating (7) EARACHE [T]

22 First person at say, Pondicherry collecting cess at the end for Lays (4) PUTS {Person}{UT}{cesS}

23 Had hybrid tea (Earl) with some nougats (5) EATEN {TEA}*{E}{Nougats}

25 Ministers expel stranger out of room (5) CABIN {CABINet}

Reference List

Piano=P, Press Release=PR, One=I, West Indies=WI, Force=F, Time=T, Man=He, Temperature=T, The French=Le, 151=CLI, Metres=M, Saint=S, Prince=P, Saturday=S, Royal Navy=RN, Night=N, Day=D, Son=S, School=S, Physical Education=PE, Tempo=T, Earl=E, Stranger=ET(Extra-Terrestrial).