No 14866, Friday 07 Aug 2026, Gridzilla

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

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

ACROSS

1   Place became cold all around (6) WARSAW  {WAS}{RAW}<=

4   German dogs mainly run and jump (6) SPRING {G}<=>{SPRINt}

8   Help stop itching to some extent (5,2) PITCH IN [T]

9   Say, king and one ace - not essentially queen of hearts (7) CARDIAC {CARD}{1}{ACe}

11 Cut and edit centre page (10) PERCENTAGE*

12 Returning from Yugoslavia too? (4) ALSO [HIPS<=]

13 Article describes origins of rheumatic orofacial pain (5) THROE {TH{Rh...c}{Or...l}E}

14 Spooner's principal gets some sweet treats (8) TEACAKES (~key takes to teacakes}

16 Laws, say, broken by trade union at the onset of strike (8) STATUTES {STA{TU}TE}{St...e}

18 Say, like a car, out of gas (5) TIRED (~tyred)

20 City is beautiful, and kept unpolluted for starters (4) BAKU Acrostic

21 His beneficiaries are always late? (10) UNDERTAKER [CD]

23 An enclosed space over and alongside houses (7) VERANDA [T} &lit

24 Bit of wine on the countertop? (7) PORTION {PORT}{NO 1<=}

25 One fleeing from dreadful regime (6) EMIGRE* Semi&lit

26 Tense day in an American company (2,4) ON EDGE {ONE}{D}{GE}

DOWN

1   Draft is correctly read out (5) WRITE (~right)

2   It goes fast, up and down? (4,3) RACE CAR <=>

3   Order food containing good source of nutrition (9) ALIGNMENT {ALI{G}{Nu...n}MENT}

5   To see this spot, used a telescope (5) PLACE {PLACE+TO+SEE}*=A TELESCOPE [CA]

6   Humanitarian aid nicely covers UP state (7) INDIANA [T<=]

7   What a groundskeeper requires is sold around corner (5,4) GRASS SEED {GRASS{SEE}ED}

10 How to get ideas pitched? (4,5)  CAST ASIDE {IDEAS}* [RA]

13 Tea is served often in private meeting (4-1-4) TETE-A-TETE* [Letter Bank] 

15 A time for one perhaps to take a little nap! (9) AFTERNOON {A+T+FOR+ONE}*{Nap} &lit

17 Setter's opening tactic primarily overturned a disaster (7) TSUNAMI {I'M}{ANUS}{Ta...c}<=

19 Like some nuts, dates, or bananas? (7) ROASTED*

21 Milk supplier from old city has daughters back in Kozhikode (5) UDDER {UR} over {DD}{k...dE}

22 In retrospect, greed or envy (vices) destroy slowly (5) ERODE [T<=]

Reference List

German = G, Trade Union = TU, Day = D, Good = G, Time = T, Daughter = D

No 14865, Thursday 06 Aug 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 11A 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   Love on the rebound! Strove after losing his heart and matured! (7) EVOLVED {LOVE<=}{ViED}

8   Fair basis of sharing a part or split (3,4) PRO RATA*

10 Sick one, very engrossed in exploit that is unreal (8) ILLUSIVE {ILL}{US{1}{V}E}

11 500 make love and magic! (6) V?O?O? (Addendum - VOODOO {V}{00}{DO}{O} - See comments)

12 Disapproving sound, it reflects female habit! It transforms into a sweet flavour! (5-6) TUTTI-FRUTTI {TUT}{IT<=}{F}{RUT}{IT*}

15 Years ago, devised by Patanjali (4) YOGA {Y}{AGO*} Semi&lit

17 Some irritate heedlessly and snigger (2-3) TE-HEE [T]

18 Soil in Buffalo, America (4) LOAM [T]

19 He devours or cooks appetiser (4,7) HORS D'OEUVRE*

22 One who holds liquor without a hint of restraint? (6) BEARER {BE{A}{Re...t}ER}

23 South ignored marketed name, welcomed learner and earlier partner (3,5) OLD FLAME {sOLD}{F{L}AME}

25 One about to get married in cafe around England (7) FIANCEE {IN+CAFE}*{E}

26 Flower within my grasp (7) MASTERY {M{ASTER}Y}

DOWN

1   Advance a prop, possibly for overpopulation (9) EVOLUTION {EVOLUTION+A+PROP}=OVERPOPULATION [CA]

2   Female relative hosting large parade (6) FLAUNT {F}{L}{AUNT}

3   This Himalayan man is still fictional essentially (4) YETI {YET}{f..tIo..l}

4   A teen mostly locked in closet with latest issue of Nancy Drew, perhaps (7,3) PRIVATE EYE {PRIV{A}{TEEn}Y}{i..uE}

5   Provide weapons to old hide-out, rockets and heraldry (8) ARMORIAL {ARM}{O}{LAIR<=}

6   Small and also large seat (5) STOOL {S}{TOO}{L}

9   Shape of toned heart throbs (11) TETRAHEDRON*

13 Teen birder struggling to mix (10) INTERBREED*

14 Something that prevents copyright violations with a model English royal brand (9) WATERMARK {W}{A}{T}{E}{R}{MARK}

16 Fan promotion at this place? Not on vacation! (8) ADHERENT {AD}{HER}{NoT}

20 Twisting and turning sound, time for mass (6) VOLUTE VOLU(-m+t)TE

21 Unfortunately tries to appear in examination again (5) RESIT*

24 No more fear! No resistance! (4) DEAD DrEAD

Reference List

Very = V, 5 = V, Female = F, Habit = RUT, Years = Y, South = S, Learner = L, England = E, Large = L, Closet = PRIVY, Old = O, Small = S, With = W, Model = T, Royal = RPromotion = AD, Time = T, Mass = M, Resistance = R