No 14739, Thursday 12 Mar 2026, Avtaar

Solution to ??? 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   Thinking about article on origin of Kazakh people (7) MANKIND {M{AN}{Ka...k}IND}

5   Scrap union's rule amidst return of Oriental pandemic disease (7) DIVORCE {E}C{R}OVID}<=

9   Building in college to preserve antique receptacle for clothing (7) HOLDALL {H{OLD}ALL}

10 Consumer of weekend US erotica (3-4) END-USER [T]

11 Tory who's in a soup bungling request for guest's preference (5,4,6) WHATS YOUR POISON*

12 Fish cake and light soups regularly kept out on the counter (5) SUSHI {lIgHt+SoUpS}<=

14 Bigwig with suit catching international flight (9) STAIRCASE {STA{I}R}{CASE}

16 Agave fibre from Lemhi Pass in a pickle (5,4) SISAL HEMP*

18 Country, say, Vespucci summarised incompletely in review (5) MUSIC [T<=]

21 Grand Ormolu that stands for path of integrity? (4,5,6) HIGH MORAL GROUND  {GRAND ORMOLU}* [RA]

24 Popular drug smuggled in fleece for Brit in South Africa (7) ROOINEK {ROO{IN}{E}K}

25 Flat surface at the end of empty abyss is rocking (7) ASTABLE {TABLE}<=>{AbysS}

26 Provided drink after unwrapping wine (7) OFFERED {cOFFEe}{RED}

27 Holding rings for miniature speakers, they play the horn (7) TOOTERS T(+oo-wee)OOTERS

DOWN

1   Old-time New Yorkers' way of working with birds (7) MOHAWKS {MO}{HAWKS}

2   One in the middle of Elgar cryptic "Face of Somalian antelopes" (7) NILGAIS {1+IN+eLGAr}*{So...n}

3   Yes, mam instinctively recalled entertaining religious scholars (5) IMAMS [T<=]

4   Boy climbing atop villa overlooking one Himalayan town (9) DALHOUSIE {LAD<=}{HOUS{1}E}

5   Love holding king down (5) DREAR {D{R}EAR}

6   Affair involving Earl featured in 6-G hit film (5-4) VIDEO-GRAM {D{E}O} in {VI}{G} and {RAM}

7   Ship arose eerily outside the Last Ocean (4,3) ROSS SEA {SS} in {AROSE}* Can a sea be called an ocean?

8   Order first item from rose new incense boxes (7) ENRANGE {ENRA{New}GE} - Confirmed by Avtaar. ROSE being changed to NEW in the online version.

13 Person lighting weak explosive drilling under hollow (9) ILLUMINER {ILL}{Und{MINE}eR}

15 One taking fight to the next round? (9) APPELLANT [CD]

16 Tips from Slavic star introducing piece of zippy, fast music (7) SCHERZO {Sl..iC}{HER{Zi..y}O}

17 Stop working of fins moving around cap in generator (4,3) SIGN OFF {OF+FINS}* over {Ge...r}

19 Fall way behind after cycling ends in awful failure (7) STUMBLE (+s)STUMBLE(-s) Not sure of Anno

20 Beggars start to dance in prison with discharged rangers (7) CADGERS {CA{Da..e}GE}{Ra..eS}

22 Searched thoroughly, runs with nude shedding top (5) RAKED {R}{nAKED}

23 Old brown liquor lacking pressure sent up (5) RETRO pORTER<=

Reference List

Rule = R, Oriental = E, International = I, Popular = IN, Drug = E, Way of working = MO(Modus Operandi), King = R, Affair = DO, Earl = E, Ship = SS, Runs = R, Pressure = P

No 14738, Wednesday 11 Mar 2026, Hypatia

Solution to 16D 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

8   Dilapidated mine hidden by "Private" sign (6) GEMINI {G{MINE*}I}

9   Praise active president's detailed scheme on employment (8) APPLAUSE {A}{P}{PLAn}{USE}

10 Freezes pickles to finish off, per Spooner (5,5) KEEPS STILL (~steeps kill to keeps still)

11 Those people's leader killed for the next in line (4) HEIR tHEIR

12 City in America managed to block foreign visa (8) VARANASI {V{A}{RAN}ASI*}

14 Once, Singh has frequently filed stable reports? (6) NEIGHS {oNcE+sInGh+HaS}

15 Please switch off? (7) DELIGHT {DE-LIGHT}

17 Selection of top end antique hanging (7) PENDANT [T]

20 Sadly rejected morning greeting (6) SALAAM {ALAS<=}{AM}

22 Epic of an army fighting to save Sita, ultimately close to Lanka (8) RAMAYANA {AN+ARMY}* over {sitA} and {l..kA}

24 Polish chiefly brightening up faded furniture (4) BUFF Acrostic

25 Huge island warring became neglected (10) LANGUISHED*

27 Expect gangster to conceal hint in treason (8) BETRAYAL {BET}{AL} over {RAY}

28 Threads covering oriental pines (6) YEARNS {Y{E}ARNS}

DOWN

1   Make fresh green tea (8) GENERATE*

2   Stubbing member's foot softly, walk unsteadily (4) LIMP {LIMb}{P}

3   Party food includes extra spicy, tasty appetisers for starters (6) FIESTA Acrostic Semi&lit

4   Often a weak point hits large deer (7) WAPITIS {WeAk+PoInT+hItS}

5   Wealth of old, posh lecturer invested in British coins (8) OPULENCE {O}{P{U}{L}ENCE}

6   In Riyadh, a situation that's beyond control (3,4,3) BAD HAIR DAY {RIYADH+A}* [RA]

7   Wodehouse character - positive male in this novel (6) PSMITH {P}{S{M}ITH*}

13 Book in Hindi initially isn't available to translate a Rahman film (6,4) ANIMAL FARM  {A+RAhMAN+FILM}*

16 Mountain ash layer scattering this range with neutrons (8) H?M?L?Y?  (Addendum - HIMALAYA - {HIMALAYA+NEUTRONS}*=MOUNTAIN ASH LAYER [CA] - See comments)

18 Parts of snake repeatedly used in Chinese clothes (8) NANKEENS* [Letterbank]

19 Twist removing a clear plastic around tattoo (7) CRINKLE {CLEaR}* over {INK}

21 Hysteria cum envy constraining judgement (6) ACUMEN [T]

23 Dynasty that ruled ancient city immersed in illusion (6) MAURYA {MA{UR}YA}

26 Battle arising from strikes (4) SPAR<=

Reference List

Private = GI, Active = A, President = P, America = A, Gangster = AL(Capone), Oriental = E, Softly = P, Old = O, Posh = U, Lecturer = L, Positive = P, Male = M, Ancient city = UR, Illusion = MAYA