No 14878, Friday 21 Aug 2026, Afterdark

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

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

ACROSS

9   Serving hot tray to Husky (7) THROATY*

10 Breaks in as a theologian above talks without substance (7) IRRUPTS {1}{RR}{UP}{TalkS}

11 Cutback on left axis, try with new figure (7) POLYGON {LOP<=}{Y}{GO}{N}

12 Discover a new depth inside and primarily look for a fish (4,3) SAND EEL {S{A}{N}{D}EE}{Look}

13 Worker seen with nurse at a leading lobotomist before birth (9) ANTENATAL {ANT}{EN}{AT}{A}{Lo...t}

15 Till last three characters return, it will be dark (5) UNLIT {UN(TIL<=)}

16 Platelayer in Central Railway, takes a new name after conversion (7) LINEMAN {raiLway}{1}{N+NAME}*

19 Improved employees in Enforcement Directorate executed heartlessly (7) EMENDED {E{MEN}D}{Ex...eD}

20 Free at gunpoint, untied, got out (5) UNPIN gUNPoINt

21 Rural area in two states (2-7) UP-COUNTRY {UP}{COUNTRY}

25 Relative from the father's side is acting outside a building (7) AGNATIC {AGN{A}TIC*}

26 Ultimately got wife to come to ball and advance to dance (3-4) TWO-STEP {goT}{W}{O}{STEP}

28 Leh party in which Regina went after Victor serving French port (2,5) LE HAVRE {LEH}{(-r)AV(+r)RE}

29 Revive used pair daughter discarded, with reconstruction (7) UPRAISE {USEd+PAIR}*

DOWN

1   Ideal place is Andaman & Nicobar perhaps with work at mainland frequently (6) UTOPIA {UT}{OP}{maInlAnd}

2   Jewellery concealed in the farm letterbox (6) ARMLET [T]

3   Husband and short girl put to death (4) HANG {H}{ANd}{G}

4   Young swan in captivity gutted, good catch (6) CYGNET {Ca...tY}{G}{NET}

5   Break up? Settle after husband finally shares inholdings in the suburbs (8) DISSOLVE {SOLVE}<=>{h...nD}{In...gS} What's the role of 'shares'?

6   Mostly vans are out to get redesigned with a new style of decoration (3,7) ART NOUVEAU {VANs+ARE+OUT}* Second U from?

7   Requested to include toll in copy before first despatch (8) APPEALED {AP}PEAL|E}{De...h}

8   Isobel's broke, 50% lost, behind schedule, deserted and ostracized (8) ISOLATED {ISObel}{LATE}{D}

14 I've backed Tom in a neutral arrangement to be appointed to office (10) NOMINATIVE {IVE}<=>{TOM+IN+A+N}*

16 Sterling gold stored initially in locked dogwood can (8) LAUDABLE {Lo...d}{AU}{Do...d}{ABLE}

17 The writer spiralled after new drug as a remedy for grief (8) NEPENTHE {THE}<=>{PEN} after{N}{E}}

18 Aunts circle around church elders primarily in dances (8) NAUTCHES {NAUT{CH}{El...s}S*}

22 Drawback after CT caught a cord (6) CATGUT {TUG<=}<=>{C{A}T}

23 Beginning to dress (ignoring recipe) potato (6) TATTIE {To}{ATTIrE}

24 Youth leader at institute starting to prepare to go and express elation (6) YIPPEE {Yo..h}{I}{Pr...e}{PEE}

27 Essentially programme belongs to us (4) OURS cOURSe

Reference List

Theologian = RR, Left axis = Y, New = N, Depth = D, Nurse = EN(Enrolled Nurse), Wife = W, Regina = R, Victor = V, Daughter = D, Husband = H, Girl = G, Good = G, Deserted = D, Neutral = N, Drug = E, Church = CH, Recipe = R, To go = PEE

No 14877, Thursday 20 Aug 2026, Incognito

Solution to 28A 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

8   Legendary ship carried by Cargomaster (4) ARGO [HIPS]

9   Strips for groups of musicians (5) BANDS [DD]

10 Actor Guinness is back in Iceland (4) ALEC [T<=]

11 I left America in turmoil, producing photographic device (6) CAMERA AMERiCA*

12 Metal vehicle with saint leaving stadium (8) VANADIUM {VAN}{stADIUM}

13 Perhaps, something to break for breakfast, for example, with grand-son at Hades (8) EGGSHELL {EG}{G}{S}{HELL}

15 Mother and boy at top-class Indian metro (6) MUMBAI {MUM}{B}{A1}

17 Pirates organised beanos (7) PARTIES*

19 Support Spanish river utilisation (7) ESPOUSE {ES}{PO}{USE}

22 Wrongly harvest in absence of husband and go without food (6) STARVE hARVEST*

24 Sick! Cure and abuse? (3-5) ILL-TREAT {ILL}{TREAT}

26 Rib and beans cooked in city (8) BRISBANE*

28 Bird bearing small coins (6) C?O?N? (Addendum - CROWNS {CROW}{N}{S} - See comments)

30 Irritated marines dropping madmen in Indian dress (4) SARI mARIneS*

31 Aimlessly move one foot behind medico (5) DRIFT {1}{FT}<=>{DR}

32 Bird from Bangkok... It enchants! (4) KITE [T]

DOWN

1   Without distribution of notice, auctioneer dispersed chemical compound (4) UREA  AUctioneER*

2   See? Storm destroyed English county (8) SOMERSET*

3   Sailor and gunners with notes in Erode (6) ABRADE {AB}{RA}{D}{E}

4   Weakly cries, "New evil spreading in ship" (7) SNIVELS {N}{EVIL*} in {SS}

5   Harbour waves spreading a mist covering star (8) TSUNAMIS {A+MIST}* over {SUN}

6   Brown Democrat's bicycle for two (6) TANDEM {TAN}{DEM}

7   Chopper used protects country (4) PERU [T]

14 US president's allowance (5) GRANT [DD] 

16 A seat is broken. Confused? (2,3) AT SEA {A}{SEAT}*

18 Mere lads go crazy producing gemstones (8) EMERALDS*

20 Boat parts got by warlocks abandoning women and going after Oscar (8) OARLOCKS {wARLOCKS}<=>{O}

21 Student dropping pole from part of 23 in African country (7) LIBERIA {L}{sIBERIA}

23 Country formed on reconstitution of USSR, with eastern part of Asia (6) RUSSIA {USSR*}{asIA}

25 Find Line of Control at end of exercise (6) LOCATE {LOC}{AT}{e...sE}

27 Expel both characters from bathroom mistakenly and wander (4) ROAM bAthRoOM*

29 Sunrise? About time for cashews, macadamias, pecans and the like (4) NUTS {SU{T}N<=}

Reference List

Saint = ST, Grand = G, Son = S, Boy = B, Spanish = ES, Husband = H, Bearing = N, Small = S, Foot = FT, Sailor = AB, Gunners = RA(Royal Artillery), Notes = D,E, New = N, Ship = SS, Women = W, Oscar = O, Student = L, Pole = S, Line of Control = LOC,  Time = T