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?

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, 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

No 14862, Monday 03 Aug 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 21A 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   Masked traffickers and escorts (6) USHERS pUSHERS

5   Dismiss exhibitionist replacing old woman with runner (5,3) SHRUG OFF {SH(-ow+rug)RUG OFF}

9   Tackle a very soft insect (8) APPROACH {A}{PP}{ROACH}

10 I study a great deal of Frost...Classic! (6 ) ICONIC {I}{CON}{ICe}

11 Control panels? So drab! (10)  DASHBOARDS {SO+BRAD}* [RA]

12 Archbishop's skirt (4) TUTU [DD]

13 Uzbekistani Techie Lobo Agnus seen regularly in winter sport (8) BIATHLON {uzBekIstAni+TecHie+LobO+agNus}

16 European repelled by journo slipped away (6) ELOPED {POLE<=}{ED}

17 Recoiled after Superintendent of Police gave a buzz (6) SPRANG {SP}{RANG} 

19 The Don is thus sheltering a pleasure seeker (8) HEDONIST* [T]

21 Box picked up for a piece of metal at end of an arrow (4) ?O?K (Addendum NOCK (~knock) See comments) 

22 Can Ted be employed again and again in family? (10) ANTECEDENT {CAN+TED}* [Letter Bank]

25 Indian state, large and mountainous (6) UPLAND {UP}{L}{AND}

26 Narcissistic outings? (3,5) EGO TRIPS [CD]

27 Nonsense crew, declares Spooner - withdraw! (4,4) PULL BACK (~bull pack to pull back)

28 Asch, Kyle & Alan discovered a nymph that became a sea-monster (6) SCYLLA {aSCh}{kYLe}{aLAn}

DOWN

2   Subtle, earthy pigmentation in art-galleries basically? (5) SEPIA Acrostic &lit

3   Elements of objective art highlighting our planet (5) EARTH [T]

4   Look legendary Welsh King delivered finely ground pulverised material (3,4) SEACOAL (~see cole)

5   Asha somehow managed one originating from the African Desert (7) SAHARAN {ASHA}*{RAN}

6   Rise up and plead for release once more (7) REISSUE {RISE*}{SUE}

7   Goths won't bust a deserted community (5,4) GHOST TOWN*

8   I sent fans out in exhaustion (9) FAINTNESS*

14 Unprepared, independent member of parliament meets Trump casually around 1st of October (9) IMPROMPTU {I}{MP}{R{Oc...r}MPTU*}

15 Giant bearing pain with black electronic device (9) TRACKBALL {T{RACK}{B}ALL}

18 Ultimately amazing supporter, a superman, proud champ 'Dada' (7) GRANDPA [Tail Acrostic] Semi&lit

19 Not right! Criminal to shred Kevin's shared workstation (7) HOT DESK {TO+SHrED}*{K}

20 Are these drug dealers making a mess of Taco orders? (7) DOCTORS {DOCTORS+ARE}*=TACO ORDERS

23 Tarnished parts of spiky trident held up (5) DIRTY [T<=]

24 The French writer sent back to country (5) NEPAL {LA}{PEN}<=

Reference List

Old = O, Woman = W, Very soft = PP, Study = CON, Journo = ED(itor), Superintendent of Police = SP, Large = L, Independent = I, Member of Parliament = MP, Black = B, Kevin = K, The in French = LA