No 14788, Friday 08 May 2026, Afterdark

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

1   Remove new individual entering party (6) BANISH {BA{N}{I}SH}

5   Before church work, Louisiana doctor gets a small cut of meat (4,4) LAMB CHOP {CH}{OP}<=>{LA}{MB}

9   In all likelihood, expert will get bowled cleverly (8) PROBABLY {PRO}{B}{ABLY}

10 Uncover study collecting funds frequently by extortion primarily (6) DENUDE {DEN}{fUnDs}{Ex...n}

11 Fine clothing for lawyer who's given to looting (10) PREDACIOUS {PRE{DA}CIOUS}

12 One's getting married at morning with religious leader (4) IMAM {1}{M}{AM}

13 Case for reconstructing casino after one crack in the front (8) OCCASION {CASINO}*<=>{One}{Cr..k}

16 Residents of Borneo condemn a Tory, perhaps (6) NEOCON [T]

17 Greek essentially follows specialist in main course (6) ENTREE {gREEk}<=>{ENT}

19 Dangerous tide came to devastate (8) DECIMATE* 

21 Son to sleep at break (4) SNAP {S}{NAP}

22 Innocent publican set free by rifleman essentially (10) INCULPABLE {PUBLICAN}{r.fLEm.n}

25 Claire cycled back to get pastry (6) ECLAIR (+e)ECLAIR(-e)

26 Say Man, settles to cover for a patterned fabric (8) PAISLEYS {PA{ISLE}YS}

27 Mutinous mean lad obstructs rule to become a municipal officer (8) ALDERMAN {MEAN+LAD}* over {R}

28 Insect can have family (6) MAYFLY {MAY}{FLY}

DOWN

2   Say, a drier is lighter, foot's short (5) AIRER fAIRER

3   A doctor's half dead at plant (5) IMBED {1}{MB}{DEad<=} No reversal indicator

4   A composer in Hawaii gets a brazier (7) HIBACHI {1}{BACH} in {HI}

5   State that lady won somehow (3,4) LAY DOWN*

6   Mohammad is only confining to US state capital (7) MADISON [T]

7   Type of writing made of numeric characters (9) CUNEIFORM*

8   Even woman in counter can be an anomaly? (3,3,3) ODD MAN OUT {ODD/even}{MAN/woman}{OUT/in}

14 Can California arrest one falling short? Primarily is it accepted by law? (9) CANONICAL {CAN}{CAL} over {ONe}{Is}

15 A new parolee fled on a flier (9) AEROPLANE {A+N+PAROLEE}* 

18 Witty remark on two animals found behind creek essentially (7) EPIGRAM {PIG}{RAM}<=>{crEek}

19 Zero power used in a sport (7) DUCKPIN {DUCK}{P}{IN}

20 Metal collected outside college/institute/university (7) CALCIUM {CAL{C}{I}{U}M}

23 Townhall eyewitness checked in backstreet (5) ALLEY [T]

24 Behold, setback is constant (5) LOYAL {LO}{LAY<=}

Reference List

New = N, Individual, Church = CH, Work = OP, Bowled = B, Lawyer = DA(District Attorney), Married = M, Specialist = ENT, Son = S, Rule = R, Foot = F, Power = P, College = C, Institute = I, University = U

No 14787, Thursday 07 May 2026, KrisKross

Solution to 6D 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   A little mate who's sick (8) SOMEWHAT*

5   A designated driver is against drink? Makes sense! (4,2) ADDS UP {A}{DD}{SUP}

9   Hot babe swimming across river in casual dress (8) BATHROBE {HOT+ROBE}* over {R}

10 Calendar info encapsulated in classic programming language (6) AGENDA {A{GEN}DA}

12 Clear online estimate - around 10.1 (9) EXONERATE {E}{RATE} over {X}{ONE}

13 Elected American representative ultimately busy (2,3) IN USE {IN}{US}{r...vE}

14 Small wound in rabbit's tail (4) SCUT {S}{CUT}

16 Relative of Greek orphan girl (7) GRANNIE {GR}{ANNIE}

19 &26D Easily understood Byzantine old calendar describing origin of Universe (4,3,5) LOUD AND CLEAR {OLD+CALENDER}* over {Un...e}

21 Song with an Indian beat (4) LAYA {LAY}{A}

24 Losing money, essentially quits drinking? Good call! (5) EVOKE {EV{OK}En}

25 Nosey character starting to peep into couple of clubs in US state (9) PINOCCHIO {Peep}{IN}{O{CC}HIO}

27 Cast out from food store counter (6) EXILED {EX}{DELI<=}

28 Engineer must shortly learn digital symbols (8) NUMERALS {MUSt+LEARN}*

29 Looking wise, I show off Latin lines (6) OWLISH {I+SHOW}* over {L}

30 Possibly in Chalukyas' era, districts in rebellion (1,4,3) I DARE SAY [T<=]

DOWN

1   After retirement, coach prepared a smaller group (6) SUBSET {BUS<=}{SET}

2   Senior woman champion quietly going after money (6) MATRON {pATRON}<=>{M}

3   Poorer son with frayed clothing (5) WORSE {WOR{S}E}

4   One runs to explode medieval weapon (7) ARBLAST {A}{R}{BLAST}

6   Notable sailor about to be involved in home project (9) D?G?I?A?Y (Addendum - DIGNITARY {DI{RATING<=}Y} - See comments)

7   Hampered without gold coin, not acting confident (8) SANGUINE {SANs}{GUINEa}

8   Head of Pathology authorised to collect fresh component of blood (8) PLATELET {Pa...y}{LET} over {LATE}

11 Some YouTuber - Gen-Z composer of music (4) BERG [T]

15 Perpetual tax overwhelms one supporting artist (9) CEASELESS {C{EASEL}ESS}

17 Best friend tense before sharing difficult goal (5,3) ALTER EGO  {T}{ERE} in {GOAL}*

18 Running out in the middle of practice lesson (8) TUTORIAL {T{OUT*}RIAL}

20 Use drug and perform exercise (4) DOPE {DO}{PE}

21 Network director, most lazy (7) LANGUID {LAN}{GUIDe}

22 Transport these medicine bottles to hospital (6) PHIALS {PHIALS+TO}*=HOSPITAL [CA]

23 Nicely warmed egg, filling, good to eat (6) TOASTY {T{O}ASTY}

26 See 19A 

Reference List

Designated driver = DD, River = R, Info = GEN, Online = E, Small = S, Greek = GR, Song = LAY, Clubs = C, Latin = L, Quietly = P, Money = M, Son = S, Runs = R, Home project = DIY, Tense = T, Exercise = PE