No 14644, Thursday 20 Nov 2025, Incognito

Solution to 5D 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   Writer endlessly getting up and approving (11) AUTHORISING {AUTHOr}{RISING}

9   In India, Zoroastrian pairs dance (5) PARSI*

10 What one may handle when making masala dosa? It's a controversial subject! (3,6) HOT POTATO [DD]

11 Swan and linnet playing a game (4,6) LAWN TENNIS*

12 Port from Birkenhead, England (4) ADEN [T]

13 Variety meat? It's not on... Has a bit of lard (5) OFFAL {OFF}{A}{Lard}

15 Space traveller having one kind of drug (8) ASTEROID {A}{STEROID}

17 Oscar writes about north-eastern head of state's transparency (8) OPENNESS {O}{PEN{NE}{St...s}S}

19 Spice? And Indian? (5) CUMIN {CUM}{IN}

22 Word for period of time (4) TERM [DD]

23 Rented Oman building and decorated (10) ORNAMENTED*

26 Horrible creature captures a Yankee priory (9) MONASTERY {MON{A}STER}{Y}

27 Wrongly maims prayer leaders (5) IMAMS*

28 Help UN agent making a mammoth weapon (8,3) ELEPHANT GUN*

DOWN

1   Projectile concealed in marrows (5) ARROW [HIPS]

2   Halt intro performed in sporting event (9) TRIATHLON*

3   Some Washington handler available nearby (2,4) ON HAND [T]

4   Works out by instinct manufacture of tin suit (7) INTUITS*

5   Engineers leaving free press? (4) I?O? (Addendum - IRON = FreE  - See comments)

6   Violently ram our dog for Brig.? (9) GUARDROOM*

7   An election with love for Greek god (6) APOLLO {A}{POLL}{O}

8   Silly Leonardo giving up old ritual initially for Lent (6) LOANED {LEoNArDO}*

14 Type of eggs kept in front of cooking equipment without charge (4-5) FREE-RANGE {FREE}{RANGE}

16 More than old church editor in Germany (9) EXCEEDING {EX}{CE}{ED}{IN}{G}

17 Punctual? Not me! I can be wrong! (2,4) ON TIME* 

18 Scream, "South Indian children" (7) SCREECH {S}{CREE}{CH}

20 Streaker from Jhunjhunu district? (6) NUDIST [T]

21 Ada leaves country by that ravine (6) CANYON {CANada}{YON}

24 Mark a twin wrongly (5) TWAIN*

25 Mislead to some extent, "An isolated landmass" (4) ISLE [HIPS}

Reference List

Oscar = O, North-eastern = NE, And = CUM, Yankee = Y, Engineers = RE(Royal Engineers), Old = EX, Church = CE, Germany = G, South = S, Children = CH