No 14938, Monday 02 Nov 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 25A 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   Brought back ace detectives to probe extremely gruesome massacre (8) GENOCIDE {ONE<=}{CID} in {Gr...mE}

5   Injured ribcage, needs right device that reduces swelling (3,3) ICE BAG {rIBCAGE}*

10 Park near a city in California (7) GARDENA {GARDEN}{A}

11 Worker rushed to pick up cold tin of alcoholic drink (4,3) BEER CAN {BEE}{R{C}AN}

12 Remain in bed in place close to workshop (3,2) LIE UP {LIEU}{w...oP}

13 Stylish renter captivates Dutch manager (9) INTENDANT {IN}{TEN{D}ANT}

14 Brave to tackle nervous thief showing sign of cowardice (5,7) WHITE FEATHER {W{THIEF*}EATHER}

18 What teacher might do at end of class to forget past mistakes (Continued in 6 Down) (4,3,5,5) WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN [DD]

21 Exhibition by director in compound after broadcast (5,4) TRADE FAIR {D} in {AFTER*}{AIR}

23 Reason to have square bed (5) ROOST {ROO{S}T}

24 Friend hosting popular artiste's last daytime performance (7) MATINEE {MAT{IN}{a...tE}E}

25 Waste time in bash controlling old fellow getting high (4,3) G?O? O?F ()

26 Assess again as retreat's largely revamped (6) RERATE RETREAt*

27 Continue to consume gin on the rocks with starter of raw fish (8) STINGRAY {ST{GIN*}{Raw}AY}

DOWN

1   Group of animated people shaking a leg after drinking grog on vacation (6) GAGGLE {A+LEG}* over {GroG}

2   Queen enthralled by seven, rare butterflies (6) NERVES {NE{R}VES*}

3   Fellow's angry about wife's latest unkind remark (5,4) CHEAP SHOT  {CH{wifE}AP}{SHOT}

4   Unable to function and inert? Had weed at rave (4,2,3,5) DEAD IN THE WATER*

6   See 18 Across (5)

7   Second expert checking husband's lumbago (8) BACKACHE {BACK}{AC{H}E}

8   Endless spell involved in magical being's birth (8) GENITURE {GENI{TURn}E}

9   Italian on round trip enthralled by a smart, attractive woman (1,3,2,3,5) A BIT OF ALL RIGHT {IT}{O}{FALL} in {A}{BRIGHT}

15 PM of Cuba leaving oceanfront complex (9) AFTERNOON {OcEANFRONT}*

16 Write to master about cheater (3-5) TWO-TIMER {WRITE+TO+M}*

17 Slop in small dish (8) SPLATTER {S}{PLATTER}

19 Almost jump and run excitedly to receive Oscar award (6) HONOUR {HOp}{RUN*} over {O}

20 Gasp! No power in filthy place that's airless (6) STUFFY {ST{pUFF}Y}

22 German painter in ultramodern studio (5) ERNST [T]

Reference List

Right = R, Cold = C, Stylish = IN, Dutch = D, Director = D, Square = S, Popular = IN, Queen = R, Husband = H, Italian = IT, Cuba = C, Master = M, Small = S, Oscar = O, Power = P

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 80, Sunday 01 Nov 2026, Bruno

Three answers per commenter till 4 PM (Annotations Compulsory)

Please submit all your answers in one comment.

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

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

ACROSS

1   Section of University gets first test (4) UNIT {UNI}{T}

3   Prominent old bishop gets help to recruit a lawyer (10) OBSERVABLE {O}{B}{SERV{A}{BL}E} POS issue

9   Actually, the Federal Reserve repealed law on overdraft to begin with (2,5) DE FACTO {FED<=}{ACT}{Ov...t}

11 Record ending in symphony - often called one of three Rs... (7)  RECYCLE {REC}{s...nY}{CaLlEd}

12 Yard party with alcoholic drink's about to be joined by man to give new life (8) REEMBODY {Y}{DO}{BEER} over {M}

13 Louvre has no right to move egg (5) OVULE*

15 Starving, endured hours in exercises (14) UNDERNOURISHED*

17 Opening in wall with plaster covering a piece of stone to get breeze - out west (8,6) CASEMENT WINDOW {C{A}{St..e}EMENT}{WIND}{O}{W}

21 Awake... about to follow shy animal (5) COYPU {UP<=}<=>{COY}

22 Ring with stylish cut on girl's top (8)  OUTCLASS {O}{CUT*}{LASS}

24 Apply uniform tiles decoratively to cover interior of pit (7) UTILISE {U}{TILES*} over {pIt}

25 Nerveless soldiers turned up, pulled out crocodile's nuts (3-4) ICE-COLD CroCODILE*

26 Very small youth took years to go to big city (5-5)  TEENY-WEENY {TEEN}{Y}{WEE}{NY} 

27 Boss' analysis finished early (4) STUD STUDy

DOWN

1   Tenderloin's rough and bloody up in the middle (8) UNDERCUT {UN{RED<=}CUT}

2   One doesn't believe daughter moved all the way south for place of action (7) INFIELD INFI(-d)EL(+d)D

4   Amoral earnings can attract demon, perhaps by vices (5,5) BLOOD MONEY {LOO}DEMON*} in {BY}

5   Nobleman's gemstone quietly stolen (4) EARL pEARL

6   Cleric's problematic situation... (7,6) VICIOUS CIRCLE {CLERIC}* [RA]

7   ... the reason being ecstasy and cocaine abuse, sadly (7) BECAUSE {E+C+ABUSE}*

8   Area surrounded by water said to be a hole (6) EYELET (~islet)

10 Bury city erects building without bar for protection (13) CYBERSECURITY {BURY+CItY+ERECTS}*

14 One could be extending out for support shortly at home, overcoming remorse, at heart (10) PROTRUSION {PRO}{TRUSt}{I{remOrse}N}

16 Bilateral treaty's prologue's broad, covering old Southern dispute's origin (3-5) TWO-SIDED {Tr...y}{W{O}{S}IDE}{Di...e}

18 Not starting crazy relationship spanning months at your convenience (7) ANYTIME {zANY}{TI{M}E}

19 Prolong disease after doctor's medications essentially (4,3) DRAG OUT {GOUT}<=>{DR}{m...cAt...s} 

20 Supernatural and lacking volume, with ugly legs and three heads? (6) OCCULT {O}{CC}{Ugly}{Legs}{Th..e}

23 Main character energy suppressing love now (4) HERE HER(+e-o)E

Reference List

Old= O, Bishop = B, Lawyer = BL, Yard = Y, Party = DO, Man = M, Out = O, West = W, Soldiers = OR, Years = Y, Daughter = D, Can = LOO, Quietly = P, Ecstasy = E, Cocaine = C, Bar = T, At home = IN, Southern = S, Months = M, Energy = E