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

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 75, Sunday 27 Sep 2026, Afterdark

Three answers per commenter till 4 PM (Annotations Compulsory)

Please submit all your answers in one comment.

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

9   How, in the absence of leader, NGO takes an extreme legal action that harms itself (3,4) OWN GOAL {hOW}{NGO}{A}{l..aL}

10 In any environs a cat can make-up (7) ANATOMY {AN{A}{TOM}Y}

11 Girl has argument with boy and a middle-age planter, perhaps (7) GROWBAG {G}{ROW}{B}{A}{aGe}

12 Deep rumble across lake, banks of Tahoe getting empty (7) DEPLETE {DEP{L}E*}{TahoE}

13 Painting outside tunnel features puma essentially in a place full of trees and plants (9) ARBORETUM {AR{BORE}T}{pUMa}

15 Thanks to, say, Aishwarya moving to the front to present an accompaniment (5) RAITA {TA}<=>{RAI}

16 About flowers' emergence (7) OUTFLOW [T]

19 California pub has stranger in show (7) CABARET {CA}{BAR}{ET}

20 Earthenware for sprite during duty frequently (5) DELFT {Du{ELF}Ty}

21 Two small sips frequently after bar to return to most effective range (5,4) SWEET SPOT {S}{WEE}{SiPs}<=>{T} and {TO<=}

25 At college in university campus, six learners found discourteous (7) UNCIVIL {UN{C}I}{VI}{L}

26 Scarf used as silencer (7) MUFFLER [DD]

28 Frequently orders meals last and distributes again (7) RESELLS {oRdErS+mEaLs+LaSt}

29 Certain to carry some weight on bare head (7) TONSURE {SURE}<=>{TON}

DOWN

1   Record on American soldier is placed on a gallery (6) LOGGIA {LOG}{GI}{A}

2   Specialist doctor owns nothing at Bury (6) ENTOMB {ENT}{MB} over {0}

3   Drove back carrying black explosive (4) BOMB {MOB<=}{B}

4   Fiery boxer facing heartless Goliath at Thailand (6) ALIGHT {ALI}{Go...tH}{T}

5   Global pressure and half of them in crisis basically (8) PANDEMIC {P}{AND}{thEM}{In}{Cr...s}

6   Manipulative woman with anger uses club on mammal (7,3) VAMPIRE BAT {VAMP}{IRE}{BAT}

7   Innkeeper is furious; deli's facade is missing here in the centre (8) HOTELIER {HOT}{dELI}{hERe}

8   Classify sect at Puducherry outskirts for resettling (8) TYPECAST {SECT+AT+Po...rY}*

14 In comparison, say sister’s landlady is heartless (10) RELATIVELY {RELATIVE}{La...lY}

16 Say, a conservative recycles gold and uranium, hard without a shred of honesty (3,5) OLD GUARD {GOLD}*{U}{hARD}

17 Beam at the ends collapses castle (8) TELECAST {ThE}{CASTLE*}

18 Things that are dreamt by wife and husband; having a son, basically loved first (4,4) WISH LIST {W}{H} over {1}{S} with {Lo..d}{1ST}

22 Half of open university ultimately end with hatred (6) ENMITY {opEN}{MIT}{u...lY}

23 At the core, pupils allege pauper has an accumulation (6) PILEUP {puPIls}{alLEge}{paUPer}

24 Adding 50% of vegetable's crucial for power, say (6) TURKEY {TURnip}{KEY} Definition not understood!

27 Celebration with daughter at capital (4) FUND {FUN}{D}

Reference List

Girl = G, Boy = B, Lake = L, Thanks = TA, Stranger = ET, Small = S, Bar = T, College = C, University = UNI, Learners = L, American soldier = GI, Black = B, Pressure = P, Wife = W, Husband = H, Son = S, Daughter = D