No 14769, Thursday 16 Apr 2026, Gussalufz

Solution to 18A 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.

HIJKLMNO Pronounced

ACROSS

1   Development environment that boss nearly destroyed to grasp a bit of programming (4,4) STOP BATH {THAT+BOSs}* over {Pr...g}

6   Surprise for woman expecting escort? (6) SHOWER [DD]

9   Setter going for a social media interaction with Victoria, perhaps (4) LAKE L(-i+a)AKE

10 Some elaborate trap to teach obscure grammatical term? (10) TETRAPTOTE [T]

11 Oh, let's go back for a campus gathering (6) HOSTEL {OH<=}{LETS<=} 

12 Gang, in memoir, was regularly retreating for sport (8) SWIMMING {GaNg+In+MeMoIr+WaS}<=

13 Writer got sharply panned (10) STYLOGRAPH*

15 Cocaine, son, right away! (4) SNOW {S}{NOW}

17 Collect fingerprint pattern after returning (4) POOL<= 

18 Old bird circling cloud or a kind of delivery service? (4-2-4) D?O?-T?-D?O?

20 Set out quinoa around five following chef's first dish (3,2,3) COQ AU VIN {QUINOA}* over {V} after{Chef}

22 "Outcome of naughty pout?" "Keeping quiet" (6) UPSHOT {UP{SH}OT*}

24 Made dry Indian crispy chicken starters, gobbled up with daughter (10) DESICCATED {DESI}{Cr...y}{Ch...n}{ATE}{D}

26 Welcome husband's distress (4) HAIL {H}{AIL}

27 Disentangle gunk and snot after blowing noses (6) UNKNOT {gUNK+sNOT

28 Spooner's young boy, batter with poor judgement (3,5) BAD TASTE (tad baste to bad taste)

DOWN

2   Quite a fort! Wonderfully hosts a small party (3,3,3) TEA FOR TWO [T]

3   Fold coat, bottom to middle (5) PLEAT PL(+e)EAT(-e)

4   Essentially, can't I logically use this operation to convert, say, 1 to 10? (7) ANTILOG [T]

5   How to prune butts, becoming attractive (3) HOT {HOw}{To}

6   Unoriginal southern liberal (7) SLAVISH {S}{LAVISH}

7   Made improvements in newspaper column about model I.I.M.s, with editing (9) OPTIMISED {OP ED} over {T+IIMS}*

8   Scoffed at faceless men on ecstasy (5) EATEN {AT}{mEN}<=>{E}

12 Squabble over private resort area (3,4) SPA TOWN {SPAT}{OWN}

14 All muddled, old language includes old pronunciation of R as L (9) LALLATION {ALL}* {LATIN} over {O}

16 One studying mountains is ordinary for university doctor (9) OROLOGIST (-u+o)OROLOGIST

18 Voted crankily to accommodate company housing for pigeons (7) DOVECOT {DOVE{CO}T*}

19 Lacking advanced auxiliary supports, ramshackle hut collapsed noisily (7) THUDDED {aADDED}<=>{HUT*}

21 Main article chases CEO's replacement (5) OCEAN {AN}<=>{CEO}*

23 Uh, sound missing in a chainsaw's clattering? (5) SCHWA CHAinSaW*

25 Save up for boat (3) TUB<=

Reference List

Son = S, Quiet = SH, Daughter = D, Husband = H, Southern = S, Model = T, Ecstasy = E, Old = O, Ordinary = O, University = U, Advanced = A

No 14768, Wednesday 15 Apr 2026, Avtaar

HAPPY VISHU

Solution to 17A 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   Party in bar turned extremely raunchy (7) REVELRY {LEVER<=}{Ra...hY}

5   Put on stage for Mussolini, perhaps (7) PRODUCE {PRO}{DUCE}

10 Small water inlet outside entrance to bathroom (4) BABY {BA{Ba...m}Y}

11 Mobile mass seen briefly on river around source of oil (6,4) SESAME SEED {MASS+SEEn}*{DEE<=}

12 Caution by English guards to walk softly (6) TIPTOE {TIP}{E} over {TO}

13 Shout about bone across centrepiece in grill used in the kitchen (8) CULINARY {C{UL{grIll}NA}RY}

14 Stir as tension breaks (9) SENSATION*

16 Fiend in English county heartlessly stealing money (5) DEMON {DEvON} over {M}

17 Very likely committed Bob's heading to border (5) ?O?N?  (Addendum - BOUND [MD] - See comments) 

19 Snare in celebration springing back behind bust (5,4) BOOBY TRAP {PARTY<=}<=>{BOOB}

23 Rum from Antigua - rare medicine - on the counter (8) DEMERARA [T<=]

24 Overcome by corrosion, banks of Euphrates turned reddish brown (6) RUSSET {RUS{Eu...eS<=}T}

26 Seals cracks in intricately woven material (10) TAPESTRIES {TAPES}{TRIES}

27 Helps millions fleeing terrible disease (4) AIDS mAIDS

28 Messenger Avtaar's apprehending scoundrel with hesitation (7) MERCURY {M{ER}{CUR}Y}

29 Dream of fellow worker shattered, say (7) FANTASY {F}{ANT}{SAY*}

DOWN

2   Devious general cancelling PR (7) EVASIVE pErVASIVE

3   Country broadcast logotype giving away 50 rings (5) EGYPT loGoTYPE*

4   Honour vision about becoming leader (7) RESPECT (+re)RESPECT(-re)

6   Back member after German leaves fold (6) RUMPLE {RUMP}{LEg}

7   Purge toxic insecticide with fluorine, after dropping ice (9) DISINFECT {iNSECTIcIDe+F}*

8   Man in church given port for good health (7) CHEERIO {C{HE}E}{RIO}

9   My coach's positive when I have cut off straying of the mind and body (13) PSYCHOSOMATIC {MY+COACHS+POSITive}*

15 US city backs probing radical faceless agencies having identical traits (9) SYNGENEIC {NY<=} in {aGENCIES}*}

18 Lover at eatery having had too much (7) OVERATE [T]

20 Coffee-maker is included in 22, say (7) BARISTA {IS} in {(~barter)BARTA}

21 Section of Mossad negated flipping schedules (7) AGENDAS [T<=]

22 Stock exchange? (6) BARTER [CD]

25 Lean factory replacing leader with second (5) SLANT (-p+s)SLANT

Reference List

English = E, Money = M, Millions = M, Hesitation = ER, Fellow = F, 50 = L, About = RE, German = G, Fluorine = F, Church = CE, I have = I'VE, Second = S