No 14911, Wednesday 30 Sep 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 2D 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   Left enthralled by great retired star, most suave (8) GLIBBEST {BI{L}G<=}{BEST}

5   Revealed love to woman in shack (6) SHOWED {SH{O}{W}ED}

10 Champion seen tottering outside retro bar (7) ENDORSE {EN{ROD<=}SE*}

11 Wanting new cultural fair (7) ETHICAL ETHnICAL

12 Aristocrat welcoming a British billionaire (5) NABOB {N{A}{B}OB}

13 Desiring hot girl in T-shirt (9) THIRSTING {G+IN+T+SHIRT}*

14 Facing a difficult situation at home with a sozzled son on cannabis (2,1,5,4) IN A TIGHTSPOT {IN}{A}{TIGHT}{S}{POT}

18 Very small amount of hard cash found in a tattered shirt (5-7) HAIRS-BREADTH {H} and {BREAD} in {A+SHIRT}*

21 Most important law announced (9) PRINCIPAL (~principle)

23 Screw in beam is eroded (5) MISER [T]

24 One who helps in a venture on hill (7) ABETTOR {A}{BET}{TOR}

25 Ecstatic with grand success, breaking record (7) GLOWING {G}{LO{WIN}G}

26 Stud picking up model is Polish officer (6) HETMAN {HE{T}MAN}

27 Dear me! Worried after street gets flooded (8) STREAMED {DEAR+ME}*<=>{ST}

DOWN

1   Environmentalist beginning to embrace English writer (6) GREENE {GREEN}{Em...e}

2   Young socialite entering popular bar is owing money (2,4) I?D?B? (Addendum - IN DEBT  {IN}{DEB}{T} - See comments)

3   Most basic details of babe cavorting with Senhor when husband's away (4,5)  BARE BONES {BABE+SENhOR}*

4   Top actress performed before opening game watched by many (9,5) SPECTATOR SPORT {TOP+ACTRESS}*{PORT}

6   Associate enthralled by hash dances and laughs (2-3) HA-HAS {A} in {HASH}*

7   Native American huts in hamlet on island in a higher position on top of slope (8) WICKIUPS {WICK}{I}{UP}{Sl..e}

8   Assign escort to entertain European member (8) DELEGATE {D{E}{LEG}ATE}

9   Understanding result of opening curtain in the morning (6,8) SEEING DAYLIGHT [DD]

15 Tribal emblem and mysterious tome found in abandoned plot on base (5,4) TOTEM POLE {TOME}* in {PLOT}* on {E}

16 Start to help after wife slipped - has lip and neck injury (8) WHIPLASH {Help}<=>{W} and {HAS+LIP}*

17 Earnest model dieting after gaining pounds (8) DILIGENT {DI{L}IGENT*}

19 Mouth-like opening is unusually moist, filled with pus essentially (6) OSTIUM {OSTI{pUs}M*}

20 Hard after fellow becomes passionless (6) FRIGID {RIGID}<=>{F}

22 Short surplice of Catholic, dressed to a T (5) COTTA {C}{TO+A+T}*

Reference List

Left = L, Woman = W, New = N, British = B, Girl = G, Son = S, Hard = H, Grand = G, Model = T,  Popular = IN, Bar = T,  Husband = H, Island = I, European = E, Base = E, Wife = W, Pounds = L, Fellow = F, Catholic = C

No 14910, Tuesday 29 Sep 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 20D 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   Girl eating ham rolls with bit of hummus in mess (8) MISHMASH {MIS{HAM*}S}{Hu...s}

5   Posh, expensive fur is available (6) USABLE {U}{SABLE}

10 Turns reel back (5) LOOPS<=

11 Need information about Latin winner of a beauty contest (4,5) MISS WORLD {MISS}{WOR{L}D}

12 Private investigator's imperfect, time to replace fellow (9) DETECTIVE DE(-f+)TECTIVE

13 Cancel extremely outspoken former US president (5) NIXON {NIX}{Ou...eN}

14 Kneels and proposes finally with ring in revolutionary scene (6) STOOPS {p...eS}{SP{O}OT<=}

15 Lame boy saved by remarkable ladies (7) DISABLE {B} in {LADIES}*

18 Fretted with limited parking inside (7) REPINED {RE{P}INED}

20 Control British director overwhelmed by anger (6) BRIDLE {B}{RI{D}LE}

22 Deserves angry answer after ignoring wife (5) EARNS ANSwER*

24 Patch filled with weed destroyed flowering plant (9) SPEEDWELL {SP{WEED*}ELL}

25 I catch associate on date cuddling wife! Getting very upset (2,1,3,3) IN A BAD WAY {I}{NAB}{A}{D{W}AY}

26 Order a large gin on the rocks (5) ALIGN {A}{L}{GIN*}

27 Small note about special metamorphic rock (6) SCHIST {S}{CHI{S}T}

28 Ass hadn't changed receptacle used by smokers (3-5) ASH-STAND*

DOWN

1   Married woman has a complaint (6) MALADY {M}{LADY} over {A}

2   Baseball fielder in thigh-length trousers and T-shirt (9) SHORTSTOP {SHORTS}{TOP}

3   Very pleasing information that DJ will bring? (5,2,4,4) MUSIC TO ONES EARS [C&DD]

4   Discussions with executives about money matters at inauguration (7) SUMMITS {SU{Mo..y}{Ma...s}ITS}

6   Swilling wine, lass woos date to indulge in youthful dissipation (3,4,4,4) SOW ONES WILD OATS {WINE+LASS+WOOS+D+TO}*

7   Mineral in container contains radium (5) BORAX {BO{RA}X}

8   Break off with indignation and threaten (8) ENDANGER {END}{ANGER}

9   Climb with foremost of climbers in Andes easily (6) ASCEND {Cl...s} in {ANDES}*

16 Dancer is bare in rave, captivating everyone (9) BALLERINA {BARE+IN}* over {ALL}

17 Gifts new Frisbee to entertain teens at centre (8) FREEBIES {FRISBEE}* over {teEns}

19 Abandon ideals on vacation, enthralled by drink (6) DISOWN {Id..lS} in {DOWN}

20 Sleep beside babe on vacation in retreat? Certainly! (3-4) B?E-?Y?S (Addendum - BYE-BYES {BY}{BabE<=}{YES} - See comments)

21 Copied single in compact disc (6) CLONED {C{LONE}D}

23 Insect egg in vehicle repulsed husband (5) ROACH {CA{O}R<=}{H}

Reference List

Posh = U, Latin = L, Time = T, Fellow = F, Boy = B, Parking = P, British = B, Director = D, Wife = W, Large = L, Small = S, Special = S, Married = M, Date = D, Husband = H