No 14829, Thursday 25 Jun 2026, Gussalufz

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.

NICE PAIN

ACROSS

1   Workers laid off? Tad fishy (3,5) DAY SHIFT*

6   Ignore outrageous abyss next to eastern edge of camp (4,2) PASS BY {ABYSS}*<=>{camP}

9   The two of us texted for dinner options? (4) MENU (~ ME 'N U}

10 Bali trek is tailor-made for rugged two-wheelers (5,5) TRAIL BIKES*

11 Straight storyteller capturing fringes of lesbian lore (6) LINEAR {LI{l...aN}{lorE}AR}

12 Detective probing American dude's murder (8) HOMICIDE {HOMI{CID}E}

13 Om: "I bit mice, dubiously imitating nature" (10) BIOMIMETIC*

15 Gussalufz accompanying gangster for lunch? (4) MEAL {ME}{AL}

17 Unchanged support after leader's ouster (2,2) AS IS bASIS

18 Son, sleep long on ship, for energy (10) SNAPPINESS {S}{NAP}{PINE}{SS}

20 Antelope ecosystem buckled after all-round grazing (8) STEMBUCK [T] Couldn't find this spelling anywhere

22 Spicy stew leads to rectal agony (painful inflammation) (6) RAGOUT {Re...l}{Ag..y}{GOUT}

24 Young abstainers, taking off clothes, give up and loudly dance on ecstasy (4,2,4) BAND OF HOPE {aBANDOn}{F}{HOP}{E}

26 Head priest dined (4) PATE {Pr...t}{ATE}

27 Party offering to preserve copy (6) CANAPE {CAN}{APE}

28 Grasshoppers returned regularly, used midday attacks (8) KATYDIDS {uSeD+mIdDaY+aTtAcKs}<=

DOWN

2   Rampant tantrum and rage in resort, for starters (9) A?E?I?I?S ()

3   A brute, lacking limits in behaviour, goes after small fry (5)  SAUTE {A}{brUTE}<=>{S}

4   Acting in period features (international) (7) INTERIM {IN TER{I}M}

5   Half of trailer cut for interval (3) TEA TEAser

6   European with microphone, offering contentious argument (7) POLEMIC {POLE}{MIC}

7   Train workers to crawl through hairy mews with caution, ultimately (9) SWITCHMEN {ITCH}* in {MEWS*}{c...oN} 

8   Badaam at first, then take paratha? (5) BREAD {Ba...m}{READ}

12 Ah, turning pitch, where some bowlers might be rested (7) HATRACK {AH<=}{TRACK}

14 Indian state in upheaval around healthcare staff cut: news outlets (4,5) MASS MEDIA {ASSAM<=} over {MEDIcs}

16 Like the middle of hamburger slices—seasoned and battered (9) ASSAULTED {AS}{SA{h..bUr..r}LTED}

18 Very upset, not right dish (7) SOUFFLE {SO}{rUFFLE}

19 A fine, extremely encyclopedic Essence of Anatomy textbook (7) PERFECT {PER}{F}{En...iC}{anaTomy}

21 ChatGPT, possibly possessed by craftiness, goes overboard; this might go over one's head (5) TIARA {AR{AI}T}<=

23 Road-racing? A pedestrian crossing sides stared in shock (5) GAPED [T]

25 Steep drop terminal for Christmas tree (3) OAK sOAK

Reference List

Gangster = AL(Capone), Son = S, Ship = SS, Loudly = F, Ecstasy = E, Small = S, Right = R, Fine = F

No 14828, Wednesday 24 Jun 2026, Avtaar

Solution to 22D 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   Propose checking new inspector's authority (6) PUNDIT {PU{N}{DI}T}

5   Trainer given key after dropping institute's driver (8) COACHMAN {COACH}{MAiN}

9   Land in Vakola is dug up (8) SLOVAKIA*

10 Solid brown on tail of cat (6) TRUSTY {RUSTY}<=>{caT}

11 Perjury of leader being laid out in public? (5,2,5) LYING IN STATE {LYING}{IN}{STATE}

13 Force Republican to give up seat for head of party (4) PUMP (-r+p)PUMP

14 Weakened disoriented side badly losing final (8) DISABLED {SIDE+BADLy}* 

17 Fear of extremely unusual strains in water-clover, for example (4-4) FOUR-LEAF {FEAR+OF+Un...aL}*

18 Harry lying about stealing Avtaar's earnings (4) GAIN {N{I}AG<=}

20 Repetition by initially accentuating leading letter-sounds (12) ALLITERATION {ITERATION}<=>{Ac...g}{Le...g}{Le...r} &lit

23 Regressive characters facing extremely violent sexual attachment change over time (6) EVOLVE {Ex...y}{Vi...t}{LOVE}<=

24 Earlier introduction of tax ruined neighbourhood shop (8) RETAILER {EARLIER+Tax}*

25 Judge, say, with a vacuous look clumsily crosses in a carefree manner (8) JAYWALKS {J}{SAY+W+A+LooK}*

26 Where you find environs for Pranayama, invoking a deity (6) PAGODA {Pr...mA} over {A}{GOD} Semi&lit

DOWN

2   Mostly unpleasant taste of imported fruit (4) UGLI {UGLy}{Im...d}

3   Real estate magnate's daughter constantly implicating staff in retreat (9) DEVELOPER {D}{EV{POLE<=}ER}

4   Every now and then Yankee engages in money fraud (4-2) TAKE-IN {T{yAnKeE}IN}

5   One working for a mission from Africa has freed Government in trouble (6,9) CHARGE D'AFFAIRES*

6   A cut gem's placed on hard floor (8) ASTONISH {A}{STONe}{IS}{H}

7   Ferret circling a resort (5) HAUNT {H{A}UNT}

8   Opposition is hesitant when challenged (10) ANTITHESIS*

12 Further stay set up by old European state (10) YUGOSLAVIA {ALSO}{GUY}<={VIA}

15 Start batting at first, say, when given a stint at the crease (9) BEGINNING {Ba...g}{EG}{INNING}

16 Erotic film on email oddly missing essence of sex (8) VENEREAL {VENeER}{EmAiL}

19 Excellent weed raised at the bottom of elevated mine (6) TIPTOP {POT<=}<=>{PIT<=}

21 Relative's smart act (2-3) IN-LAW {IN}{LAW}

22 Randy's lodge, almost fully erected (4) ?E?D (Addendum - LEWD DWELl <= - See comments)

Reference List

New = N, Inspector = DI(Detective Inspector), Institute = I, Republican = R, Judge = J, Daughter = D, Hard = H, Stay = GUY