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

No 14909, Monday 28 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   Where one sees the letter E explicitly? (2,2,4,5) IN SO MANY WORDS [C&DD]

8   Advance to save boy in valley (5) COMBE {COM{B}E}

9   Delighted with production of oil by American plant (9) GLADIOLUS {GLAD}{OIL*}{US}

11 Teen in inn excited about boy finally giving number (6-4) NINETY-NINE {TEEN+IN+INN}* over {boY}

12 Starts to appreciate fine African rhino from a distance (4) AFAR Acrostic

14 Rose edited series about Greek mythological character (7) ORESTES {ROSE*}{SET<=}

16 Asserting briefly about making a bloomer (7) NIGELLA {ALLEGINg<=}

17 Deceiver cheers up after ensnaring maiden (7) SCHEMER {SCHE{M}ER*}

19 Small tin can made of tin (7) STANNIC {S}{TIN+CAN}*

21 Lover starts to cuddle at first (4) ERST [T]

22 Liaison at rave after consuming cocaine - becoming rebellious (10) ANTISOCIAL {LIAISON+AT}* over {C}

25 Cause a commotion in bar, catching date embracing hot lady (5,4) RAISE HELL {RAI{SE{H}E}L}{L}

26 Lyric poet turned very tense, entertaining princess (5) ODIST {SO<=}{T} over {DI}

27 Art of artfully reshaping with latest in 3D CGI (7,6) GRAPHIC DESIGN {RESHAPING+3D+CGI}* Semi&lit

DOWN

2   Runner's not at all well, close to collapse (7) N?M?N?E (Addendum - NOMINEE {NO}{MINE}{c...sE} - See comments)

3   Love smart American couple welcoming members at launch individually (3,2,1,4) ONE AT A TIME {O}{NEAT}{A}{TI{Me...s}E}

4   Content of natural ginseng gum (5) ALGIN [T]

5   Desires remuneration after end of therapy (9) YEARNINGS {EARNINGS}<=>{t...pY}

6   Bishop, one wearing outsize sashes (4) OBIS {B}{1} in {OS}

7   Model consuming ecstasy with posh fellow turned miserable (7) DOLEFUL {DOL{E}{U<=>F}L}

8   Specialist beginning to chat about treatment of neurosis (11) CONNOISSEUR {Chat}ON}{NEUROSIS*}

10 Knight in position trapping one's rook with clean moves (3,8) SIR LANCELOT {S{1}{R}{CLEAN*}LOT}

13 Goad union's ridiculous dinosaurs (10) IGUANODONS*

15 Peaceful, having good time on island's national park (9) SERENGETI {SEREN{G}E}{T}{I}

18 Woman drinking wine, becoming more reckless (7) HASTIER {H{ASTI}ER}

20 Nudging to control one talking loudly (7) NOISING {NO{1}SING}

23 Relaxed in food shop in retreat, cuddling date (5) IDLED {DEL{D}I<=}

24 Look at bottom of pump for leak (4) SEEP {SEE}{pumP}

Reference List

Boy = B, Maiden = M, Small = S, Cocaine = C, Hot = H, Lady = L, Tense = T, Princess = DI, American = A, Bishop = B, Outsize = OS, Ecstasy = E, Posh = U, Fellow = F, Rook = R, Good = G, Time = T, Island = I, Date = D