No 14935, Thursday 29 Oct 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 16D 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   Roadwork Company clerk at the outskirts to get a valve, say (8) STOPCOCK {ST}{OP}{CO}{ClerK}

5   At the same time as wife, husband is crossing line on time (6) WHILST {W}{H}{IS}{L}{T}

10 Rowdy's cover at slums exposed (7) HOODLUM {HOOD}{sLUMs}

11 A plane curve can be seen at eclipse, after initial cover disappears left (7) ELLIPSE {E(-c+l)LLIPSE}

12 A play in rugby looks odd after second choke-tackle in the front (5) SCRUM {RUM}<=>{S}{Ch...e}

13 Old boy's toxic and disgusting (9) OBNOXIOUS {OB}{NOXIOUS}

14 Doctor reins her fear with an aerosol spray, perhaps (3,9) AIR FRESHENER*

18 Happiness at party after Sita's mingling (12) SATISFACTION {FACTION}<=>{SITAS}* 

21 Box kept near gate has arrack, essentially for the band (9) ORCHESTRA {CHEST}<=>{OR} and {arRAck}

23 Neighbour at NorthEast has friend (5) NEPAL {NE}{PAL}

24 To that article, two leading reporters toiled one-third (7) THERETO {THE}{REp...s}{TOiled}

25 In release, Tom said - process of the temporal bone (7) MASTOID*

26 Break off with blonde, sister relayed (6) DESIST [T]

27 Deadly deli, i.e barmen at both ends menacing (8) INEDIBLE {DELI+IE+Ba..eN}

DOWN

1   Rift in school is mushrooming primarily (6) SCHISM {SCH}{IS}{Mu...g}

2   Aromas are forbidding in old society (6) ODOURS {O}{DOUR}{S}

3   Disconcerted masculine insults (9) CALUMNIES*

4   Quotient of two integers derived from standard operation using Faraday's rule (6,8) COMMON FRACTION {COMMON}{F}{R}{ACTION}

6   Curse over 50 individuals makes them a genus of snail (5) HELIX {HE{L}{1}X}

7   A connector in friend's back's jagged at the tip, points to erosion at both ends (3,5) LAP JOINT {PAL<=}{Ja...d}{pOINTs}

8   Exchequer at Surrey vandalised (8) TREASURY*

9   Our primitive ancestor learnt, had men adopt one development (11,3) NEANDERTHAL MAN {LEARNT+HAD+MEN}* over {AN} As per the clue AN is also part of anagram fodder, making it indirect!

15 Caught son turning inside on the description of a facial feature (4-5) HOOK-NOSED {HOOK{SON<=}ED}

16 Different fool retweeted without no end (8) ?S?O?T?D ()

17 Holders assemble rocket in ship (8) STOCKERS {S{ROCKET*}S}

19 One pill at the beginning and end by doctor's order advances calmness (6) APLOMB {A}{PilL} and {MB}<=>{O}

20 Vehicle found in a small ridge (6) SLEDGE {S}{LEDGE}

22 Time lost in matches for betting odds (5) EVENS EVENtS

 

Reference List

Road = ST, Work = OP, Company = CO, Wife = W, Husband = H, Line = L, Time = T, Left = L, Second = S, Old boy = OB, Gate = OR, North east = NE, School = SCH, Old = O, Society = S, Faraday = F, Rule = R, 50 = L, Individuals = I, Ship = SS, Order = O, Small = S

No 14934, Wednesday 28 Oct 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 23A 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   Taxes a member at East Germany (6) IMPOST {1}{MP}{OST} POS issue

4   Dispense ORT after a serious shortage at the front (6) ASSORT {ORT}<=>{A}{Se...s}{Sh...e}

8   Matador in Guatemala's somewhat affectionate (7) ADORING [T]

9   Desperately needs intervention of medical examiner in the estate (7) DEMESNE {DE{ME}SNE*}

11 Side rattled with maiden, bowler finishes early by gut (10) DISEMBOWEL {SIDE*}{M}{BOWLEr*} Anind missing

12 Expression of displeasure as purse is picked at the front (4) OUCH pOUCH

13 An apparatus for breathing given to learner in South Africa (5) SCUBA {S{CUB}A}

14 A diversion in team performance (8) SIDESHOW {SIDE}{SHOW}

16 A runner has society's peripheral, perhaps (8) SPRINTER {S}{PRINTER}

18 Pandemonium at church, one obliges to vacate (5) CHAOS {CH}{A}{Ob...eS}

20 Teak, Rowan, Elm, Elders roots make a big plant (4) TREE Acrostic

21 Consensus is strong, without leader its rarity (10) SOLIDARITY {SOLID}{rARITY}

23 Joined in board, rainy in the flanks but has no trace of moisture (4-3) ?O?E-?R?  

24 In part, husband at India interferes to constrain (7) INHIBIT {IN}{BIT} over {H}{I}

25 Fires drunk outside general hospital on Sunday (6) LIGHTS {LI{GH}T}{S}

26 Tucker Nelson's heart is at centre (6) KERNEL [tucKER+NELson]

DOWN

1   Primate is seen behind ridge, hiding (5) INDRI [T]

2   Upstart's standard very elementary, to begin with no clues essentially (7) PARVENU {PAR}{V}{El...y}{N}{clUes}

3   Son and first brother persist to clean a hard surface, say (9) SANDBLAST {S}{AND}{Br...r}{LAST}

5   That lady will attack (5) SHELL SHE'LL

6   Coroner ousts a section that is demanding (7) ONEROUS [T]

7   Dogged cousin ate rolls (9) TENACIOUS*

10 Sponge cake made by small women is featuring on special list (5,4) SWISS ROLL {S}{W}{IS}{S}{ROLL}

13 Magnificent bird sighted at the biggest NFL game (5,4) SUPER BOWL {SUPERB}{OWL}

15 Reportedly clergy recruited a rogue at church leading to corruption (9) DECADENCE {(~dean)DE{CAD}EN}{CE}

17 A cold person's in charge at electricity board above work unit (7) ICEBERG {IC}{EB}{ERG}

19 Fusion in raga overcoming resistance leads to charge (7) ARRAIGN {IN+RAGA}* over {R}

21 Pothole on street at the parade (5) STRUT {RUT}<=>{ST}

22 Getting money at Qatar on time is testing (5) TRIAL {RIAL}<=>{T}

Reference List

Member = MP, East in German = OST, Medical examiner = ME, Maiden = M, Society = S, Church = CH, Husband = H, India = I, General Hospital = GH, Sunday = S, Standard = PAR, Very = V, No = N, Son = S, Small = S, Women = W, Special = S, Church = CE, In charge = IC, Electricity Board = EB, Resistance = R, Time = T