No 14642, Tuesday 18 Nov 2025, Incognito

Solution to 27A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Hidden a foam cudgel when travelling? (11) CAMOUFLAGED*

9   Fliers going round air terminal getting drinks (5) BEERS {BEE{aiR}S}

10 Had sample altered to produce light fitting (9) LAMPSHADE*

11 Took away sailor's treatise lying with editor (10) ABSTRACTED {ABS}{TRACT}{ED}

12 Chinese chairman consumes king fish (4) MAKO {MA{K}O}

13 Setter leaving China, travelling to get egg and tortilla chip (5) NACHO {CHiNA}*{O}

15 Getting away from Spain and pacing around (8) ESCAPING {ES}{PACING*}

17 In front of barn, Indian woman endlessly pulped (8) SQUASHED {SHED}<=>{SQUAw}

19 Behind mine, territorial army makes bread (5) PITTA {PIT}{TA}

22 Between 1,100 and 1,000 billion to produce rocket propelled weapon (1,1,1,1) I C B M {1}{C}{B}{M}

23 Veerappan is excited to capture saint when releasing a race driver (10) VERSTAPPEN {VEERAPPaN}* over {ST}

26 Chapati is rolled around old and large sausage (9) CHIPOLATA {CHIP{O}{L}ATA*}

27 Hot when full, but cold when initial two-fifths is thrown away (5) S?I?Y ()

28 Animals and pagan saint circle around heart of goddess (5,6) GIANT PANDAS {PAGAN+SAINT}* over {godDess}

DOWN

1   Revolutionary paramilitary organisation's game (5) CHESS {CHE}{SS}

2   Rapidly increases hotel space in ship following Greek letter (9) MUSHROOMS {H}{ROOM} in {SS} after {MU}

3   What you might need to do before removing shoes? Messily clean university first... (6) UNLACE {CLEAN+Un...y}*

4   After fifty one, male lovingly strokes molluscs (7) LIMPETS {LI}{M}{PETS}

5   With fuel, Henry makes wide cut (4) GASH {GAS}{H}

6   Playwright admits art is destroyed (9) DRAMATIST*

7   Get damaged boat in (6) OBTAIN*

8   Kelvin is captured by gnome sailing in river (6) MEKONG {ME{K}ONG*}

14 Awkwardly climb rung going to pieces (9) CRUMBLING*

16 Valued IDs appear to be forged (9) APPRAISED*

17 Exchange cane (6) SWITCH [DD]

18 Girl hugged by heartless animal is graceful (7) ELEGANT {ELEp{G}hANT} 

20 Puts new napkin initially in soya sauce and irritates (6) ANNOYS {N}{Na...n} in {SOYA}*

21 South African Bantu people and volunteers capture bird (6) TSWANA {T{SWAN}A}

24 American tax authority is after Pennsylvania couples (5) PAIRS {IRS}<=>{PA}

25 Furniture from El Paso factory (4) SOFA 

Reference List

Sailor = AB, Editor = ED, King = K, Spain = ES, Old = O, Large = L, Hotel = H, Ship = SS, Male = M, Henry = H, Kelvin = K, Girl = G, Volunteers = TA(Territorial Army)

No 14641, Monday 17 Nov 2025, Incognito

Solution to 8A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Seaside town singer throws away crumpled note (4) ?A?I ()

9   Romans excel, I hear, and double a score (5) FORTY (~forte)

10 Slippery creatures found in creel sometimes (4) EELS [T]

11 Bachelor's vice? Spreading gel! (6) SINGLE {SIN}{GEL*}

12 Many a hog running around in the wood (8) MAHOGANY*

13 Actor Kelly hops around first, producing gas (8) PHOSGENE {GENE}<=>{HOPS*}

15 Travelling Mounties leaving US promptly (2,4) ON TIME MOuNTIEs*

17 Continue newspapers with old name (5,2) PRESS ON {PRESS}{O}{N}

19 Most riches may provide shelter to a bird (7) OSTRICH [T]

22 Come from east and join (6) EMERGE {E}{MERGE}

24 His cubs run around single flower (8) HIBISCUS {HIS+CUBS}* over {1}

26 Animal's horribly long pain (8) PANGOLIN*

28 Boer captures maiden and bachelor making... military aircraft (6) BOMBER {BO{M}{B}ER}

30 Ballerina's dress for bishop (4) TUTU [DD]

31 Last letter from the Greeks (5) OMEGA [CD]

32 Liar counterfeited currency (4) LIRA*

DOWN

1   Metro leaves Baltimore for island (4) BALI BALtImore

2   Causes revulsion from one small girl surrounded by dust at start of sandstorm (8) DISGUSTS {D{1}{S}{G}UST}{Sa...m} 

3   Bad side effect after losing disc? No longer capable of action... (6) EFFETE {sidE+EFFEcT}*

4   Actor Chopra, that is right, for PM (7) PREMIER {PREM}{IE}{R}

5   Pythons coil around centre of log in cyclones (8) TYPHOONS {TYPH{lOg}ONS*}

6   Heaviness of Greek leader in white building (6) WEIGHT {WEI{Gr..k}HT*}

7   John gives shelter to large tribe (4) CLAN {C{L}AN}

14 Quarters for females built by male rabbit with a bit of masochism (5) HAREM {HARE}{Ma...m}

16 Scotsman and Australian in former Portuguese colony (5) MACAU {MAC}{AU}

18 Ignore 6 balls, John, and start kicking (8) OVERLOOK {OVER}{LOO}{Ki...g}

20 Look like Mrs Lee going around carrying boy at end of lane (8) RESEMBLE {MRS+LEE}* over {B} and {lanE}

21 Arranged lunch around north eastern part of railway link between UK and France (7) CHUNNEL {CHUN{NE}L*}

23 Gar stew (6) RAGOUT {GAR}* [RA]

25 A kind of lynx from pre-Christian time occupying sailing vessel (6) BOBCAT {BO{BC}AT}

27 Excited graduate throwing dart gets fever (4) AGUE GradUAtE*

29 Lord is fearless to some extent (4) EARL [HIPS]

Reference List

Old = O, Name = N, East = E, Small = S, Girl = G, Right = R, Large = L, John = LOO, Boy = B