No 14906, Thursday 24 Sep 2026, Afterdark

Solution to 7D 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   Empty bay filled with electric vehicles by company (4) BEVY {Ba{EV}Y}

3   Part of mouse (more than one) used by learner in black arts insanely (10) TRACKBALLS {L} in {BLACK+ARTS}*

10 Spending Euros, lavishly decorate in style (3,4) ART DECO DECORATe*

11 Where US Congress meets is Washington D.C., say, is not advanced but ordinary (7) CAPITOL CAPIT(-a+o)OL

12 Retain port (7) HARBOUR [DD]

13 Without resistance, say, sister could be excited (6) ELATED rELATED

15 Show opener in the second half is a landlord, maybe (5) OWNER {shOW}{opeNER}

16 Agreement with criminal by faculties reportedly (9) CONSENSUS {CON}{(~senses)SENSUS}

18 Extract sugar mass from seaweed (9) SARGASSUM*

21 Concluding words by messenger (5) ENVOI [DD]

23 Clay and soil sent back to a town near Kolkata (6) DUMDUM {MUD}{MUD}<=

25 Infrared used in vessel, to regularly heat fish (7) PIRANHA {P{IR}AN}{HeAt}

27 Opposed to Turkish general in emptying Siirt (7) AGAINST {AGA}{IN}{SiirT}

28 As deduced, gold ingot initially was spotted on April 1 (1,6) A PRIORI {OR}{In..t}<=>{APR}{1}

29 Say, massager's at large, decapitated following rule by someone from Spurge family (6,4) RUBBER TREE {RUBBER}T{fREE} Anno for T not clear

30 Avoid the quiet one (4) SHUN {SH}{UN}

DOWN

1   Say, holiday home is at Belgium, one in East Central near two hotels by a river (5,5) BEACH HOUSE {B}{E}{A}{C}{H}{H}{OUSE}

2   Check electronically administered by one that is experienced (7) VETERAN {VET}{E}{RAN}

4   Luggage holders for cars ok to fit (4,5) ROOF RACKS*

5   In hurricane, it’s not on to go round (5) CYCLE CYCLonE

6   One having blood pressure on passage in transport (7) BIPLANE {B{1}P}{LANE}

7   Messages to check brief lacking finish (7)  L?T?E?S (Addendum - LETTERS {LET}{TERSe} - See comments)

8   Betrayed, hence boy is disheartened (4) SOLD {SO}{LaD}

9   Departed, route jammed so a diversion (6) DETOUR {D}{ROUTE}*

14 Assessment at New York time by 1, Matthew is overwrought, negativing in the front (10) ESTIMATION {EST}{1}{MAT}{Is}{Ov...t}{Ne...g}

17 Say, masthead is made of metal pane (9) NAMEPLATE*

19 Right hand cut in the centre by thorn of a plant (7) RHUBARB {R}{H}{cUt}{BARB}

20 Way to cook? Criminal at hideout primarily tortures examiner (2,5) AL DENTE {AL}{DEN}{To...s}{Ex...r}

21 Mistakes by precursor; in knots after losing CPU (6) ERRORS {pREcuRSOR}*

22 Painter of vehicle set out to get herbal primers (3,4) VAN GOGH {VAN}{GO}{Get}{He...l}

24 McDermot eternalizing hidden composition (5) MOTET [T]

26 Locks husband and innkeeper's relative at the gate (4) HAIR Acrostic

Reference List

Electric Vehicles = EV, Learner = L, Euros = E, Advanced = A, Ordinary = O, Resistance = R, Quiet = SH, One = Un, East = E, Central = C, Hotel = H, Electronically = E, Departed = D, Right hand = RH, Criminal = AL(Capone)

No 14905, Wednesday 23 Sep 2026, Incognito

Standing-in for Colonel today 

ACROSS
8 Emperor's generous to some extent (4) NERO [HIPS]

9 Girl with Ralph drops student's diagram (5) GRAPH {G}{RAlPH}
10 Finished / 6 balls (4) OVER [DD]
11 To push wildly and get effect (6) UPSHOT*
12 Tour permits 3 kids born to the same mother at the same time (8) TRIPLETS {TRIP}{LETS}
13 One who sets free sub-letter? (8) RELEASER {RE-LEASER}
15 Mixed broth shakes finally and pulsates (6) THROBS {BROTH*}{shakeS}
17 Alien in print media fixes in advance (7) PRESETS {ET} in {PRESS}
19 Once again corrects article from mistaken dieters (2-5)  RE-EDITS*
22 Guy at the Spanish place of worship (6) CHAPEL {CHAP}{EL}

24 Old boy with European saint turned out to be respectful (8) OBEISANT {OB}{E}{SAINT*}
26 Concentrated bombardments for dams (8) BARRAGES [DD]
28 Angry boss accepts note (6) HEATED {HEA{TE}D}
30 Part of body found in Washington (4) SHIN [HIPS]
31 Athletic Australian soldier starting to like expedition (5) AGILE {A}{GI}{Like}{Expedition}
32 Something for holding cold sauce (4) CLIP {C}{LIP}

DOWN
1 That chap gets a penny for stack (4) HEAP {HE}{A}{P}
2 Female feline, having lost eye, I hear, carries child in legendary creature's lair (4,4) LOCH NESS {Li(~EYE)ONESS} around CH

3 Stones silver seat at random (6) AGATES {AG}{SEAT*}

4 Pound Yankee's source of power (7) BATTERY {BATTER}{Y}
5 Author Agatha organised charities without American capital (8) CHRISTIE {CHaRITIES*}

6 Elbow broken by regiment's cricket player (6) BOWLER {ELBOW*}{R}
7 Singlet from Galveston (4) VEST [HIPS]
14 Mud in possession of Uncle Arthur (5) EARTH [T]
16 Conductor's club? (5) BATON [CD]
18 Excitedly melt gear to produce wire (8) TELEGRAM*
20 Send Chinese after German row (8) DESPATCH {CH}<=>{DE}{SPAT}
21 Adore women with gold on vessel (7) WORSHIP {W}{OR}{SHIP}
23 Apparently includes immediate ancestor (6) PARENT [HIPS]
25 Repeats E, E, E, .... for radioman around end of sortie (6) ECHOES ECHO{sortiE}S
27 A revolutionary's pain (4) ACHE {A}{CHE}
29 Give out wrong item (4) EMIT*

REFERENCE LIST

Girl=G, ALIEN=ET, The Spanish=The in Spanish=EL, Old Boy=OB, European=E, Note=TE, Australian=A, Soldier=GI, Cold=C, Penny=P, Child=Ch, Silver=Ag, Regiment=R, Chinese=Ch, Germen=De, Women=W