No 14714, Wednesday 11 Feb 2026, Saral

Solution to 14D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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

7   Fantastic blue and silver back whale (6) BELUGA {BLUE}*}{AG<=}

8   Preserve excellent books penned by principal (8) MAINTAIN {M{A1}{NT}AIN}

9   Station master near subway counter for final examination (4-6) POST-MORTEM {POST}{M}{METRO<=}

10 Request from people accepted (4) PLEA [T]

11 Spanish journalist to get a round of coffee (8) ESPRESSO {ES}{PRESS}{O}

12 Two pieces of thin taro damaged windpipe (6) THROAT {THin}{TARO*}

13 Method of designing old pure diamonds (5,8) MODUS OPERANDI {O+PURE+DIAMONDS}*

16 Scientist in pressure with a measuring system mainly (6) PASCAL {P}{A}{SCALe}

18 Petitioner in court protecting wild animal (8) CLAIMANT {C{ANIMAL*}T}

21 Advertisement is abrupt and dull (4) BLUR BLURb

22 Gauge mood controlling expression of pain mostly from the heart (10) TOUCHSTONE {T{OUCH}{moSTly}ONE}

23 Killing hundred soldiers after Indian state is upset (8) MASSACRE {C}{RE}<=>{ASSAM<=}

24 Call again engineers to help rolling line (6) REDIAL {RE}{AID<=}{L}

DOWN

1   That woman with son training birds (6) HERONS {HER}{SON*}

2   Assembled plant reportedly (8) MUSTERED (~mustard)

3   Noted a tailless rodent behind fellow (6) FAMOUS {A}{MOUSe}<=>{F}

4   Spread a meal primarily consumed by weight watcher (8) DIAMETER {DI{A}{Meal}ETER}

5   State of shock from bombing US port (6) STUPOR* 

6   Some elite, rational intellectuals (8) LITERATI [T]

8   Point out crime playing in movie (6,7) MOTION PICTURE*

13 Cooking at first fresh oatmeal dish (4,4) MEAT LOAF {Fr..h+OATMEAL}*

14 Spooner says "Stop sibling in biannual event" (8) S?L?T?C? (Addendum - SOLSTICE (stall sis to solstice - See comments)

15 Worm in bump around oriental carpet (8) NEMATODE {N{E}{MAT}ODE}

17 Body right inside bush (6) CORPSE {CO{R}PSE}

19 Follow a daughter with that man again (6) ADHERE {A}{D}{HE}{RE}

20 Assassins? Yes in Germany chasing Indian often with son (6) NINJAS {JA}<=>{iNdIaN} and {S}

Reference List

Books = NT(New Testament), Master = M, Spanish = ES, Old = O, Pressure = P, Court = CT, Hundred = C, Soldiers = RE(Royal Engineers), Line = L, Fellow = F, Oriental = E, Right = R, Daughter = D, Again = RE, Yes in German = JA, Son = S

No 14713, Tuesday 10 Feb 2026, Karaoke

Solution to 23A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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   Appeal to umpire by Zimbabwe rejected after outlandish oath outside (6) HOWZAT {HO{ZW<=}AT*}

4   Contents removed from nightshirt following a day in satellite (8) ADHERENT {Ni...rT}<=>{A}D}{HERE}

9   The Apostles perhaps in between solvers' hearts (6) TWELVE {beTWEen}{soLVErs}

10 This animal in the room, you would not like to talk about difficult situation (8) ELEPHANT [C&DD]

12 Eternity, free-for-all (8) ENTIRETY*

13 Shots in the arm to the Devil, mostly by saint (6) TONICS {TO}{NICk}{S}

15 Fine clue, bottom to top (4) THIN (+t)THIN(-t)

17 Sink in latrine, fit to be destroyed (10) INFILTRATE*

19 Cooking appliance in resort is defective and extremely inaccurate (10) ROTISSERIE {RESORT+IS}*{In...tE}

20 Small rodent inside treasure, it may spread disease (4) GERM {GE{Ro...t}M}

23 Something wrong with a very troublesome child? (6) T?R?O? (Addendum - TERROR {Th..g}{ERROR} _ See comments)

24 Never compose music outright without expertise initially (3,2,3) NOT AT ALL {NOTATe}{ALL}

27 It's the character of Indian setter to get energy by force (8) IDEOGRAM {I}{D{E}OG}{RAM}

28 Rogue conceals degree in suitcase (3,3) BAD EGG {BA{DEG}G}

29 Comedians possibly cracked satires about model (8) ARTISTES {ARTIS{T}ES*}

30 I am told to get permission for skirt (6) BYPASS (~buy pass)

DOWN

1   Stolen base? Criminals may end up here (3,4) HOT SEAT {HOT}{SEAT}

2   Take away by force from others, according to reports (5) WREST (~rest)

3   Loudly say state recruits director on board basically (6) ADVERB {A{D}VER}{Bo..d}

5   Shop's key with setter (4) DELI {DEL}{I}

6   Makes use of old pistol in rebellion (8) EXPLOITS {EX}{PISTOL*}

7   Kill time with girlfriend eating ice cream mainly (9) ERADICATE {ERA}{D{Ice}{Cr..m}ATE}

8   How much salt you add for a pleasing result? (2,5) TO TASTE [CD]

11 Vocalist hugs model in cocktail (7) STINGER {S{T}INGER}

14 Potentially AI is no ultimate tool for working relationship (7) LIAISON {AI+IS+NO+tooL}*

16 Meet veteran heartily participating in cricket? (9) INTERSECT {IN{veTERan}SECT}

18 Provided exorbitant loans? Boastful talk (2,4,2) AS LONG AS {LOANS*}{GAS}

19 Wine container unopened and returned (7) RETSINA cANISTER<=

21 Blasphemes representation of lingams (7) MALIGNS*

22 Celebration with semi-sexy stars (6) GALAXY {GALA}{seXY}

25 Primarily athletes regularly entertain nail-biting audience here (5) ARENA Acrostic Semi&lit

26 Topless pair in competition (4) RACE bRACE

Reference List

Day = D, Saint = S, Indian = I, Setter = DOG, Energy = E, Model = T, Director = D, Key = DEL, Old = EX