No 14884, Friday 28 Aug 2026, Dr. X

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   Reckless cheater's cool, having hot mistress (13) SCHOOL TEACHER {CHEATERS+COOL}* over {H}

8   Injured crossing small, wooded area (5) HURST {HUR{S}T}

9   Bishop made a psalm - it's relating to a Christian rite (9) BAPTISMAL {B}{A+PSALM+IT}*

11 Gosh! Feel so nervous - it's a result of fear (10) GOOSEFLESH* 

12 Catch small bug (4) SNAG {S}{NAG}

14 Batting star behind victory (7) WINKING {KING}<=>{WIN}

16 Australian knocked back drink, having devoured ham (7) AMATEUR {A}{{RUM<=} over {ATE}

17 Ordered meat loaf, wanting fine breakfast dish (7) OATMEAL {MEAT+LOAf}*

19 Have a snack in shed around 4 pm in Britain (7) TEATIME {EAT} in {EMIT<=}

21 Brought back superior adhesives (4) GUMS <=

22 Mighty unpleasant American making a bloomer (10) POTENTILLA {POTENT}{ILL}{A}

25 Sentry in compound tackling a bully (9) TYRANNISE {SENTRY+IN}* over {A}

26 Tell a gang to secure goods at bottom of sea (5) LAGAN [T]

27 Compose tune for girl and propose - that's impressive (13) UNFORGETTABLE {TUNE+FOR+G}*{TABLE}

DOWN

2   Box contains old comic strip (7) CARTOON {CART{O}ON}

3   Where one in bathroom might be having a lively night out (2,3,5) ON THE TILES [DD]

4   Falsehood about bachelor and lady is defamation (5) LIBEL {LI{B}E}{L}

5   Fool under pressure after knight's captured by awfully neat chess move (2,7) EN PASSANT {ASS}<=>{N}{P} in {NEAT}*

6   Crack in bottom of pelvic joint (4) CHIP {p..iC}{HIP}

7   Individual cuddling model under tree in Californian city (2,5) EL MONTE {ON{T}E}<=>{ELM}

8   Drunk women getting noisy, tense and agitated (11) HIGHWROUGHT {HIGH}{W}{ROUGH}{T}

10 Dexterous trickery by crafty gem dealer at home (11) LEGERDEMAIN {GEM+DEALER}*{IN}

13 Dance in rave on Ecstasy, high around afternoon (10) TARANTELLA {RANT}{E} in {TALL}{A}

15 Dashing girl on clip, breaking record (9) GALLOPING {GAL}{LO{PIN}G}

18 Monkey in tree, killing a little dove (7) TAMARIN TAMARINd

20 Support associate crushed by evil criminal (7) ILLEGAL {LEG}{A} in {ILL}

23 Use axe essentially to cut conifer in retreat (5) EXERT {TRE{aXe}E<=}

24 Aware of revolting idiot nobbling rings (2,2) ON TO [T<=]

Reference List

Hot = H, Small = S, Bishop = B, Australian = A, Fine = F, American = A, Girl = G, Old = O, Bachelor = B, Lady = L, Knight = N, Pressure = P, Model = T, Women = W, Tense = T, Ecstasy = E, Afternoon = A, Associate = A

No 14883, Thursday 27 Aug 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 5A 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   Relaxes in bed after having sex with primarily sexy blonde (4,4) SITS BACK {S{IT}{Sexy}{Bl...e}ACK}

5   Outspoken, dynamic and idealistic hosts (6) ?A?D?D ()

10 Misdeed by champion in posh hotel around Taiwanese city (7) HSINCHU {SIN}{CH} in {U}{H}<=

11 Torments British university lecturer with untruths (7) BULLIES {B}{U}{L}{LIES}

12 See 9 Down

13 Ride at wet ground in ebbing and flowing liquid (9) TIDEWATER*

14 Infringement by merchant, one craftily smuggling cocaine (12) ENCROACHMENT {MERCHANT+ONE}* over {C}

18 Unexpected upset! Side in state of shock (12) STUPEFACTION {UPSET}*{FACTION}

21 Asian pianist artfully entertaining a thousand (9) PAKISTANI {P{A}{K}ISTANI*

23 Old British nobleman close to Jeffrey (5) EARLY {EARL}{j...eY}

24 One with most lavish houses, beginning to become abrasive (7) ACERBIC {ACE}{RICh} over {Be...e}

25 Frivolous sportsman at centre, one crushed by opponent (7) TRIVIAL {s..rTs..n}{RIV{I}AL}

26 A little toddler and semiaquatic mammal in reel (6) TOTTER {To...r}{OTTER}

27 Extremely remarkable model dating big star (3,5) RED GIANT {Re...lE}{DATING*}

DOWN

1   Seem worried about China's ploy (6) SCHEME {S{CH}EME*}

2   Make a mistake in revolting place, cuddling disreputable person (4,2) TRIP UP {PUT<=} over {RIP}

3   Drunken female reveller in taxi, turning to sing and cheer heartily (9) BACCHANTE {CAB<=}{CHANT}{chEer}

4   Neutralise Cuban cartel, one going berserk (14) COUNTERBALANCE*

6   Tolerate American leader, primarily mean (5) ALLOW {A}{Le...r}{LOW}

7   I trained vigorously to become more trim (8) DAINTIER*

8   Princess on small Greek island is unattached (8) DISCRETE {DI}{S}{CRETE}

9   Strong feeling of disgust caused by poor dental hygiene? (1,3,5,2,3,5) (Continued in 12 Across) A BAD TASTE IN THE MOUTH [C&DD]

15 Hanging around oafishly at opening, eating greedily (9) HOOVERING {HO{Oa...y}VERING}

16 Injured Pathan's holding long walking stick made from a sapling (3-5) ASH-PLANT {PATHANS}* over {L}

17 Most cool and enjoyable, flying kites (8) FUNKIEST {FUN}{KITES*}

19 Iran slyly beginning to construct atomic plant (6) ARNICA {IRAN}*{Co...t}{At...c}

20 Slippery person crosses yard, starts to escape through small hole (6) EYELET {E{Y}EL}{Es...s}{Th...h}

22 Transaction involving billions for expensive fur (5) SABLE {SA{B}LE}

Reference List

Sex = IT, Champion = CH, Posh = U, Hotel = H, British = B, University = U, Lecturer = L, Cocaine = C, Thousand = K, China = CH, Small = S, Long = L, Yard = Y, Billions = B