No 14674, Thursday 25 Dec 2025, KrisKross

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

Solution to 13A 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   Allow champion to drink cold port (6) ACCEPT {AC{C}E}{PT}

4   Prayer that is chanted in drama's beginning and ending recurrently (5,3) AGNUS DEI {IE}{Dra{SUNG}mA}<=

10 Road is bad - lover happily carries you at last (9) BOULEVARD {BAD+LOVER}* over {yoU}

11 Point in both directions (5) LEVEL <=>

12 Gentleman rejected fish croquette (7) RISSOLE {SIR<=}{SOLE}

13 Dropping resistance and current certainly changes time between stimulus and response (7) L?T?N?Y ()

14 Passage setter will shortly read aloud (5) AISLE {~i'll)

15 Close to D-day, heart is shaking in panic (8) HYSTERIA {d.aY+HEART+IS}*

18 Saint and Emperor hiding together (2,6) IN TANDEM [T]

20 Cycle catches one moving slowly (5) SNAIL (+s)SNAIL(-s)

23 Clue's oddly hard - "Elevated rocks" (7) LUIRCHES {CLUES+HaRd}*

25 Principal left student in tears sadly (7) STELLAR {L}{L} in TEARS}*

26 Indian state leader leaves for time in prison (5) TIHAR (-b+t)TIHAR

27 Orphan child dirtying clothes and hiding face (9) FOUNDLING {FOU{aND}LING}

28 Kids essentially engrossed in "Sholay", relaxing in free time (8) HOLIDAYS {kIDs} in }SHOLAY}*

29 Check using a couple of rooks after removing bishop - excellent! (6) ARREST {A}{RR}{bEST}

DOWN

1   Living in trees, boa snakes choking raccoon's head - true! (8) ARBOREAL {A{Ra...s}BO*}{REAL}

2   After college, feels bad about one's pleasure trips (7) CRUISES {C}{RU{1'S}ES}

3   "Mobile phone with reduced list of options?" - one wonders (9) PHENOMENA {PHONE}*{MENu}{A}

5   Expression of surprise as new gym doubles loss (3,5,2,4) GOD BLESS MY SOUL*

6   Dark section without trace of light (5) UNLIT {UN{Li..t}IT}

7   Italian on vacation, about to go through Michelangelo's unfinished masterpiece - he was a genius (2,5) DA VINCI {It...aN}{C} in {DAVId}

8   Fills batting positions (6) INLAYS {IN}{LAYS}

9   What a bad vacuum cleaner might do? Work energetically! (4,3,4,3) MAKE THE DUST FLY [C&DD]

16 Cockney most comfortable with nurse (4-5) EAST-ENDER {EASe}{TENDER}

17 Get down holding hands, okay? (3,5) ALL RIGHT {AL{L}{R}IGHT}

19 Coppers sped back capturing loch's last aquatic mammal (7) NARWHAL {LAW}{RAN}<= over {locH}

21 Unsurpassed, amazing Tamil language initially ahead of English (3-4) ALL-TIME {TAMIL+La...e}*{E}

22 Seize eggs (6) CLUTCH [DD]

24 Some adore hymns about Biblical king (5) HEROD [T<=]

Reference List

Cold = C, Port = PT, Left = L, Student = L, Time = T, Rook = R, Bishop = B, College = C, About = C, Batting = IN, Hands = L,R, English = E