No 14708, Wednesday 04 Feb 2026, Hypatia

Solution to 27D 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   Had to take medication in vehicle for grub (11) CATERPILLAR {C{ATE}{R}{PILL}AR}

8   Your old teacher's heading on vacation..happy (3) THY {Te...r}{HappY}

10 Elderly grandma going home tired at last (4) AGED Tail acrostic

11 Fine note played frequently (5) OFTEN {F+NOTE}*

12 Host member close to society (4) ARMY {ARM}{s...tY}

13 Hints tackling reading mistakes (5) TRIPS {T{R}IPS}

15 Hatred spread through cold gangster in church (9) CATHEDRAL {C}{HATRED*}{AL}

16 Husband removing lead from dog's bowl (6) HOLLOW (H}{fOLLOW}

18 Return live in time for argument (6) DEBATE {D{BE<=}ATE}

21 D-shape discontinued gradually (6,3) PHASED OUT {D+SHAPE}* [RA]

23 Demanded rum, sake and unlimited vodka (5) ASKED {SAKE*}{voDka}

25 Press covering UN, regret occasionally (4) URGE {Un+ReGrEt}

26 Children's magazine (5) ISSUE [DD]

27 Some help us help Ram? (4) PUSH [T]

28 Flash drive (3) ZIP [DD]

29 Profession of outstanding field work? (11) AGRICULTURE [CD]

DOWN

1   Animal climbing tree biting hairy organ (8) KANGAROO {OAK}<= over {ORGAN}*

2   Medieval European's alcoholic drink, basically! (4) MEAD Acrostic &lit

3   Tip of porcelain filling in a minute item of cutlery (5) SPOON {S{Po,,,n}OON}

4   Excited about blankets behind American plane (7) PLATEAU {UP<=} over {LATE}{A}

5   Took off and had food including aperitif, at the start (8) LAUNCHED {L{Ap...f}UNCHED}

6   That man boring school boy spending day in hill station (6) SHIMLA {S}{HIM}{LAd}

9   Heard reverend father gambles in irrecoverable obligations (3,5) BAD DEBTS (~dad bets to bad debts)

14 Cultivated from river in New Delhi, ending in Ganges (8) POLISHED {PO}{DELHI+g...eS}*

17 Women, ultimately accepted, signed up for matches (8) WEDDINGS {W}{a...eD+SIGNED}*

19 Value greatly found in nitre as urea (8) TREASURE [T]

20 Interest virgin in short outfit (7) PURSUIT {PURe}{SUIT}

22 Brave ants marching out of chain store building (6) HEROIC {CHaIn+stORE}*

24 Started changing name for married Muslim lady (5) BEGUM BEGU(-n+m)M

27 Weep for devoutness, disheartened (4)  P?T? 

Reference List

Take = R, Fine = F, Reading = R, Cold = C, Gangster = AL(Capone), Husband = H, American = A, School = S, Day = D, Women = W, Name = N, Married = M

No 14707, Tuesday 03 Feb 2026, Dr. X

Solution to 20D 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   Crude barbarian penning naughty poems (8) HOMESPUN {H{POEMS*}UN}

5   Censured batter in ground (6) BLAMED {B{LAM}ED}

10 Fine expert cracking case is humourless (2-5) PO-FACED {PO{F}{ACE}D}

11 Crushes married priest breaking commandments (7) RUMPLES {RU{M}{P}LES}

12 Recollected Omani girl's name (5) NAOMI*

13 Finally, nuclear radiation is lessening (9) REMISSION {n...aR}{EMISSION}

14 Dine after one and pick up model in retro bar instantly (2,1,9) IN A HEARTBEAT {EAT}<=>{1} and {HEAR}{T} in {BAN<=}

18 Problem caused by conservative politician in shaky coalition (12) COMPLICATION {C}{O{MP}LICATION*}

21 Opener rocks, cracking century on primarily rough English wicket (9) CORKSCREW {ROCKS}*{C}{Ro..h}{E}{W}

23 & 4 Conceal instruction to one cleaning room (5,5,3,6) SWEEP UNDER THE CARPET [DD]

24 Border caught by More in Oval (7) ELLIPSE {EL{LIP}SE}

25 Leaders of Russia and USA meeting in the countryside (7) RURALLY {Ru...a}{Usa}{RALLY}

26 One captivated by a tsar's fancy crowns (6) TIARAS {T{1}ARAS*}

27 Dominated by wife sadly - he's miserable (4,4) HELD SWAY {W+SADLY+HE}*

DOWN

1   Promoting extremely hearty girl captivating press (6) HYPING {He..tY}{G} over {PIN}

2   Difficult to catch ultimately slippery fellow? Nonsense! (2,4) MY FOOT {M{s...rY}{F}OOT}

3   Separate at once! Lady is promiscuous (9) SECTIONAL {AT+ONCE+L+IS}*

4   See 23 Across

6   Enthralled by liqueurs on vacation, rogue totters (5) LIMPS {Liqu{IMP}eurS}

7   Lifted rubbish outside bar in Asian country (8) MALDIVES {SLAM<=} over {DIVE}

8   Separate from husband going astray inside hut (8) DISUNITE {INSIDE+hUT}*

9   On the contrary, tiff in bedroom fast turned into an even more unpleasant situation (4,3,2,5) FROM BAD TO WORSE {ROW<=} in {BEDROOM+FAST}*

15 Model excited about extremely remarkable stole (9) TROUSERED {T}{ROUSE{Re...lE}D}

16 Ungainly techies consuming cocaine to become cooler (3,5) ICE CHEST {TECHIES}* over {C}

17 Essentially, mumps and rubella shot provides protection (8) UMBRELLA {muMps+RUBELLA}*

19 Mature maiden for fine chap (6) MELLOW (+m-f)MELLOW

20 Devious snoop enters nimbly (6) ?P?Y?Y (Addendum - SPRYLY {S{PRY}LY} - See comments)

22 Chose piano having a reddish-brown colour (5) SEPIA [T]

Reference List

Fine = F, Married = M, Priest = P, Model = T, Conservative = C, Century = C, English = E, Wicket = W, Wife = W, Girl = G, Fellow = F, Lady = L, Bar = DIVE, Husband = H, Cocaine = C, Maiden = M