No 14936, Friday 30 Oct 2026, Dr. X

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

1   Screams hysterically about a murder (8) MASSACRE {M{A}SSACRE*}

5   Associate works out after gaining weight every time (6) ALWAYS {A}{LAYS} over {W}

10 Cavort with European after consuming cocaine (5) DANCE {DAN{C}E}

11 Marshal protects a witness (9) SPECTATOR*

12 Crazy men entering a dangerous Indian city (9) MORADABAD {M{OR}AD}{A}{BAD}

13 US-Canada defence org. destroyed a drone leaving base (5) NORAD {DRONe}*

14 Rubbish heap outside fine flat at entrance (6) PIFFLE {PI{F}{Flat}LE}

15 Recital at opening with medley of flutes is soothing (7) RESTFUL {Re...l}{FLUTES*}

18 One way or another, escort entertains old male on vacation (7) SOMEHOW {S{O}{MalE}HOW}

20 Former US president's overture to Epstein in tabloid article (6) REAGAN {R{E}AG}{AN}

22 Starts to holler about vile oppressor causing mayhem (5) HAVOC Acrostic

24 The best thing on menu - our rolls (6,3) NUMERO UNO* 

25 One captivated by perfect maiden (9) UNMARRIED {UNMARR{1}ED}

26 Nervous novice lacks confidence, primarily sheepish (5) OVINE NOVIcE*

27 Robust model eating special pork meatloaf (6) HASLET {HA{S}LE}{T}

28 Come to rest after hosting large shindig at centre from dusk till dawn (3-5) ALL-NIGHT {AL{L}{shiNdig}IGHT}

DOWN

1   Monsieur's wife is nuts about me (6) MADAME {MAD}{A}{ME}

2   Fantastic singers receiving close to twenty million for working together (9) SYNERGISM {S{t...tY}NERGIS*}{M}

3   Where paunchy person's belt buckle might be better than average (5,2,3,5) AHEAD OF THE CURVE [DD]

4   Upset about blood relation being ridiculous (7) RISIBLE {RI{SIB}LE}

6   Start to dance in the raw, loosen up! (3,4,4,4) LET ONES HAIR DOWN {Dance+IN+THE+RAW+LOOSEN}* Semi&lit

7   Concerning some daft errors (5) AFTER [T]

8   Sit astride seat, holding sides of tusker (8) STRADDLE {S{Tu..eR}ADDLE}

9   Ogle after drinking whiskey on date, becoming more lascivious (6) LEWDER {LE{W}{D}ER}

16 Presenting extremely fine American code-breaker (9) FEATURING {FinE}{A}{TURING}

17 Like a small hotel acquired by firm (2,6) AS THOUGH {A}{S}{T{H}OUGH}

19 Improvise with cleverness to enthral stylish girl (4,2) WING IT {W{IN}{G}IT}

20 Modify social media clip about member's retro party (7) REMODEL {RE{M}{DO<=}EL}

21 Secret desire to have a little romp (6) COVERT {COVE{Romp}ET}

23 Repairs anatomical vessel to save military policeman (5) VAMPS {VA{MP}S}

Reference List

Associate = A, Weight = W, Cocaine = C, Men = OR, Base = E, Fine = F, Old = O, Special = S, Large = L, Million = M, Whiskey = W, Date = D, American = A, Small = S, Hotel = H, Stylish = IN, Girl = G, Member = M, Military policeman = MP

No 14935, Thursday 29 Oct 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 16D 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   Roadwork Company clerk at the outskirts to get a valve, say (8) STOPCOCK {ST}{OP}{CO}{ClerK}

5   At the same time as wife, husband is crossing line on time (6) WHILST {W}{H}{IS}{L}{T}

10 Rowdy's cover at slums exposed (7) HOODLUM {HOOD}{sLUMs}

11 A plane curve can be seen at eclipse, after initial cover disappears left (7) ELLIPSE {E(-c+l)LLIPSE}

12 A play in rugby looks odd after second choke-tackle in the front (5) SCRUM {RUM}<=>{S}{Ch...e}

13 Old boy's toxic and disgusting (9) OBNOXIOUS {OB}{NOXIOUS}

14 Doctor reins her fear with an aerosol spray, perhaps (3,9) AIR FRESHENER*

18 Happiness at party after Sita's mingling (12) SATISFACTION {FACTION}<=>{SITAS}* 

21 Box kept near gate has arrack, essentially for the band (9) ORCHESTRA {CHEST}<=>{OR} and {arRAck}

23 Neighbour at NorthEast has friend (5) NEPAL {NE}{PAL}

24 To that article, two leading reporters toiled one-third (7) THERETO {THE}{REp...s}{TOiled}

25 In release, Tom said - process of the temporal bone (7) MASTOID*

26 Break off with blonde, sister relayed (6) DESIST [T]

27 Deadly deli, i.e barmen at both ends menacing (8) INEDIBLE {DELI+IE+Ba..eN}

DOWN

1   Rift in school is mushrooming primarily (6) SCHISM {SCH}{IS}{Mu...g}

2   Aromas are forbidding in old society (6) ODOURS {O}{DOUR}{S}

3   Disconcerted masculine insults (9) CALUMNIES*

4   Quotient of two integers derived from standard operation using Faraday's rule (6,8) COMMON FRACTION {COMMON}{F}{R}{ACTION}

6   Curse over 50 individuals makes them a genus of snail (5) HELIX {HE{L}{1}X}

7   A connector in friend's back's jagged at the tip, points to erosion at both ends (3,5) LAP JOINT {PAL<=}{Ja...d}{pOINTs}

8   Exchequer at Surrey vandalised (8) TREASURY*

9   Our primitive ancestor learnt, had men adopt one development (11,3) NEANDERTHAL MAN {LEARNT+HAD+MEN}* over {AN} As per the clue AN is also part of anagram fodder, making it indirect!

15 Caught son turning inside on the description of a facial feature (4-5) HOOK-NOSED {HOOK{SON<=}ED}

16 Different fool retweeted without no end (8) ?S?O?T?D (Addendum - ASSORTED {ASS}{nO}{RT'ED} - See comments)

17 Holders assemble rocket in ship (8) STOCKERS {S{ROCKET*}S}

19 One pill at the beginning and end by doctor's order advances calmness (6) APLOMB {A}{PilL} and {MB}<=>{O}

20 Vehicle found in a small ridge (6) SLEDGE {S}{LEDGE}

22 Time lost in matches for betting odds (5) EVENS EVENtS

 

Reference List

Road = ST, Work = OP, Company = CO, Wife = W, Husband = H, Line = L, Time = T, Left = L, Second = S, Old boy = OB, Gate = OR, North east = NE, School = SCH, Old = O, Society = S, Faraday = F, Rule = R, 50 = L, Individuals = I, Retweeted = RT'ED, Ship = SS, Order = O, Small = S