No 14894, Wednesday 09 Sep 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   Good and right judgement about a royal associate in ambit of ambiguity (4,4) GREY AREA {G}{R}{EY{A}{R}E}{A}

9   Deadlines set essentially for sleep! (6) DROWSE {D}{ROWS}{sEt}

10 Rest of singing group could be orchestral (6) CHORAL {CHORAL+SET}*=ORCHESTRAL [CA]

11 Crown consumed a restricted drug with uncontrolled rage (8) HEADGEAR {H{E}AD}{RAGE*}

12 At home, heartless Spooner revels in the flesh (2-6) IN-PERSON {IN}{SPOoNER}*

13 Eskimo has time to sense! (6) INTUIT {IN{T}UIT}

14 Adams must intuit going with due adjustments being made (7,8) MUTATIS MUTANDIS*

18 Life for English! It's oddly about public relations! (6) ESPRIT {E}{S{PR}IT*}

20 Trick associated with common guilt (8) CONTRITE {CON}{TRITE}

23 One escaping from prison, most open to fly endlessly for a spicy curry (8) JALFREZI {JAiL}{FREe}{ZIp}

24 Sesame seed paste in Thai cooking (6) TAHINI*

25 Lady's in hijab regularly for a medical condition (6) HERNIA {HER}{iN+hIjAb}

26 English vote for instance sees different interpretations (8) EXEGESES {E}{X}{EG}{SEES*}

DOWN

1   At heart, poor Phantom's an abandoned child! (6) ORPHAN [T]

2   Oddly many bowed, without hint of courtesy before a gift by Patanjali (8) AYURVEDA {mAnY}{cURVED}{A}

3   He cures diseases and practices (6) ?R?L?S (Addendum - DRILLS {DR}{ILLS} - See comments)

4   Saw changes in him around laundromat units (7,8) WASHING MACHINES*

5   Visionary one on US Narcs file (8) IDEALIST {1}{DEA}{LIST}

6   Knight battled, sacrificed head for love (6) NOUGHT {N}{fOUGHT}

7   It is a new transformed state (8) ESWATINI*

15 Impassive United Nations has distorted judgement (8) UNSHAKEN {UN}{HAS*}{KEN}

16 Thin disreputable women are back as God intended (2,3,3) IN THE RAW {THIN*}{W+ARE<=}

17 Half of this is in Scandinavian fringe of Atlantic (5,3) NORTH SEA [GK] (Addendum - {NOR{THis}SE}{At...c} &lit - See comments)

19 Burden if error carries backward process (6) REFINE [T<=]

21 Devotee with jewel from the east and a spice (6) NUTMEG {NUT}{GEM<=}

22 Kind of bicycle bars forged for bandmaster (6) TANDEM {TANDEM+BARS}*=BANDMASTER [CA]

Reference List

Good = G, Right = R, Royal = R, Associate = A, Dead = D, Drug = E, Time = T, English = E, Vote = X, Knight = N, Women = W

No 14893, Tuesday 08 Sep 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 25D 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   Open channel on record, as conflict leads to death (15) STRAIGHTFORWARD {(~strait)STRAIGHT}{FOR}{WAR}{De..h}

9   Dictator with a bold non-working solution and vacuous statecraft (10) ABSOLUTIST {A}{B}{SOLUTIon}{St...fT}

10 Kind of blue oil (4) LUBE*

11 Cover royal fast (8) SPANKING {SPAN}{KING}

14 Carry around good German drifter (6) BEGGAR {BE{G}{G}AR}

15 Entire bravest fighting class of spineless ones! (13) INVERTEBRATES*

18 Abused the French during invasion (6) RAILED {RAI{LE}D}

19 Ideal society ignored copulation by faceless, crusading Knight (8) EXEMPLAR {sEX}{tEMPLAR}

22 Amorous communication is part of his extroversion (4) SEXT [T]

23 I reportedly deceive with diplomacy and direct visual communication (3,7) EYE CONTACT {(~i)EYE}{CON}{TACT}

26 Escaping from trap, purchase smack or cocaine and crow somehow! (2,4,2,2,5) BY HOOK OR BY CROOK {BY}{HOOK}ORBY}{C}{ROOK} Anno not clear

DOWN

1   Try small bill (4) STAB {S}{TAB}

2   Love working after girl returns to pool (6) LAGOON {O}{ON}<=>{GAL<=}

3   Rodent with a painful inflammation on island (6) AGOUTI {A}{GOUT}{I}

4   Case in perpetuity (4) ETUI [HIPS]

5   Second person on train, runs to become content developer (8) YOUTUBER {YOU}{TUBE}{R}

6   Desire mostly set in difficult zone between darkness and luminosity (8) TWILIGHT {T{WILl}IGHT}

7   Area covering a windy basin where monsoon winds originate (7,3) ARABIAN SEA {AREA} over {A}{BASIN}*

12 A peg in secret with English sleuth (7,3) PRIVATE EYE {PRIV{A}{TEE}Y}{E}

13 Some young rebellious flyer (5) GREBE [T]

16 Will very old and bright one go on regularly? (8) VOLITION {V}{O}{LIT}{1}{gO+oN}

17 Communist pets for Caucasian countrymen (8) REDNECKS {RED}{NECKS}

20 Derived name from money power, perhaps (6) EPONYM {MONEY+P}*

21 Head Egyptian god, Greek circular dish (6) PATERA {PATE}{RA}

24 Rameez Raja hosting a famous rabbi (4) EZRA [T]

25 Old fool runs away naked (4)  C?O?

Reference List

Bold = B, Good = G, German = G, The in French = LE, Society = S, Cocaine = C, Small = S, Island = I, Runs = R, Peg = TEE, English = E, Very = V, Old = O, Power = P