No 14942, Friday 06 Nov 2026, Karaoke

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.

ACROSS

1   Tries vigorously at school, writes exam again (6)

4   Enjoy yourself, fix one base, in retreat? (4,2,2)

10 Small drink accepted in theatre (5)

11 Healthy and smart figure secures record (2,3,4)

12 Fair share for an exhibit on display (9)

13 Confidential assistants’ words spoken in undertone carry no substance mainly (5)

14 Destructive tide engulfed people with advanced mental illness (8)

15 Greek letter of death, maybe time to say goodbye to dead (5)

18 Like in support for badger (5)

20 Air strike — It produces sound (5,3)

23 Eight kill people belonging to the family for food! (5)

25 Reviewed in theory about climax of sex hormone produced within body (9)

26 Childless woman ran up a hill leaving husband in distress (9)

27 Ultimately yoghurt, cucumber, chilli, masala, pudina mixed in Indian dish (5)

28 It’s a mockery to wear a waistcoat to go outside (8)

29 Charm a rring? (6)

DOWN

1   This vegetable is in hard shape (6)

2   Father after taking drug boards plane with associate to watch series of episodes (4,5)

3   Stamp of artist inscribed in place of worship erasing signature at the end (7)

5   Expecting to lose pool regularly, what if I play foolishly with money? (2,3,6,3)

6   Stylish English cricket side gets tan unfortunately (7)

7   Trustworthy group of three killed associate for espionage primarily (5)

8   Country that takes pains criminally to release extremists on borders (8)

9   Passage from a periodical, one to examine by rule and law (9,5)

16 Coteries used to induce independent and arouse invitingly (9)

17 Hurry up. Break set point (4,2,2)

19 Vague and almost bad budget rejected (7)

21 Some tapir to get around seeking attention (3-4)

22 Release knight from lock up on bail finally in particular (6)

24 As long as possible, perform dance to this music (5)

No 14941, Thursday 05 Nov 2026, Avtaar

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

1   It is like hell when husband's fired by present coach (6) EREBUS {hERE}{BUS}

5   Yankee tie, crest and official garments (5-3) STAND-OFF [T]

9   Dope is worthless - contains adulterated musk (8) NUMSKULL {N{MUSK*}ULL}

10 Double-woven blouse, extremely lacy, worn by women (3-3) TWO-PLY TOP}{LacY} over {W}

11 Bubbly unopened alcohol is toted after the start in sign of childhood camaraderie (3,6,3) OLD SCHOOL TIE {aLCOHOL+IS+tOTED}*

13 Ducks in a row? (4) PAIR [CD]

14 12 eggs found in nobleman's jacket - issue being reviewed (8) NOONTIME {00} in {No...aN}{EMIT<=}

17 Vocal and essentially cynical freak subject to emotional fits (8) VOLCANIC {VOCAL+cyNICal}*

18 75% of 14 is 5 less? (4) N?N?  (Addendum - NINE  (3/3*12)=9=(14-5) [DD] - See comments)

20 Reserve hospital taken over by sick senior civil servant? (6-6) OFFICE-HOLDER {ICE}{H} in {OFF}{OLDER}

23 Actor undressed completely going for a vivid Asian wrap (6) SARONG {S{ActoR}ONG} (Correction S(-T+a)ARONG - See comments)

24 Restraining covert operation about suffering (8) STILLING {ST{ILL}ING}

25 Bust without head, feels very hard (8) SEVERELY {fEELS+VERY}*

26 Time for cold drink and sweet (6) TOFFEE (+t-c)TOFFEE

DOWN

2   Hammer ball into channel (4) ROUT {R{O}UT}

3   See black rat entering complex seconds away from crisis (9) BISHOPRIC {B} and {SHOP} in {CRIsIs}*

4   Obstinate Republican boards train (6) STURDY {STU{R}DY}

5   Silly Conservative focuses on reforms with intense third party scrutiny (4-11) SELF-CONSCIOUSLY {SILLY+C+FOCUSES+ON}*

6   Class of anemones cultured in a zoo that wants it (8) ANTHOZOA {iN+A+ZOO+THAt}*}

7   All orderlies in retreat drinking rum (5) DROLL [T<=]

8   British daily featuring extremely unusual, shortened clip on soldiers' execution (10) FULFILMENT {FT} over {Un...aL}{FILm}{MEN}

12 Reached outside old University with standard mask (10) CAMOUFLAGE {CAM{O}{U}{FLAG}E}

15 Instruction for band members in centrefold, briefly edited (5,4) TENOR CLEF CENTREFOLd*

16 First to go out, believing bum's sweet talk (8) INVEIGLE bELIEVING*

19 Aimless commercial break (6) ADRIFT {AD}{RIFT}

21 1-0; United (2,3) IN ONE {1}{NONE}

22 Regularly connected in the past (4) ONCE {cOnNeCtEd}

Reference List

Husband = H, Women = W, Reserve = ICE, Hospital = H, Time = T, Cold = C, Black = B, Rat = SHOP, Second = S, Republican = R, Conservative = C, Soldiers = MEN, Old = O, University = U, Commercial = AD