No 14638, Thursday 13 Nov 2025, Arden

Solution to 1A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Storing cotton in the bar basement (6) P?I?T? (Addendum - PLINTH {P{LINT}H} - See comments)

4   Right in the contre of good French resort (8) BRIGHTON {B{RIGHT}ON} CONTRE appears to be a typo for CENTRE

9   Minion heading west with almighty friend (6) LAPDOG {GOD}{PAL}<=

10 Manage to include everyone - one is the Goddess of music (8) CALLIOPE {C{ALL}{1}OPE}

12 Man withstood wild old beast (8) MASTODON {MAN+STOOD}*

13 Set aside some money, including private banks (6) REPEAL {RE{Pr...tE}AL}

15 None can go faster than this brand of men's swimwear and escape (5,2,5) SPEED OF LIGHT {SPEEDO}{FLIGHT}

18 Play the host, party, and the hours carry on (2,3,7) DO THE HONOURS {DO}{THE}{H{ON}OURS}

21 Book publisher's covers framed Frost (6) PRIMER {Pu...{RIME}...eR}

22 Composer's mad shrew, wallowing in drink (8) GERSHWIN {G{SHREW*}IN}

24 Jailhouse for fliers (8) CANARIES [DD] ( Correction - {CAN}{ARIES} - See comments)

25 Part of New York gets regular patrols in the border (6) HARLEM {H{pAtRoLs}EM}

26 Chat counter (8) CONVERSE [DD]

27 Severe problems - indicates extreme life-threatening condition (6) SEPSIS {Se...rE}{Pr...mS}{In...eS}

DOWN

1   European film on a professional writer (8) POLEMIST {POLE}{MIST}

2   Self introduction of Bill, the conman (8) IMPOSTER {I'M}{POSTER}

3   Also, change route and go to bed - difficult to believe? (3,4,2,2,4) TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE {TOO}{ROUTE+GO+TO+BED}*

5   Grating no good for horse (4) ROAN gROAN

6   Long-handed bats rattle - get out with a bonus (6,9) GOLDEN HANDSHAKE {LONG+HANDED}*{SHAKE}

7   Wipe around top rim with a tool (6) TROWEL {T{Rim}OWEL}

8   Enlightened action, nothing to provoke (6) NEEDLE EnLightENED*

11 Scrubs the toilet, starts with flush and hand shower (7) LOOFAHS {LOO}{Fl..h}{And}{Hand}{Sh...r}

14 Fellow draws out first blood on the ship (7) LIGHTER bLIGHTER

16 Comfortable about English law on uprising in parts of the ship (8) GUNWALES {S{E}{LAW}NUG}<=

17 Natural calamities suit man's fancy (8) TSUNAMIS*

19 Shifting ice-cap makes one throw up (6) IPECAC*

20 You'll find it in wood lining, perhaps (6) LIGNIN*

23 Income's sufficient for feeding people here (4) MESS [T]

Reference List

Bar = PH, Good in French = BON, Party = DO, Good = G, Toilet = LOO, English = E