No 14684, Tuesday 06 Jan 2026, Saral

Solution to 21A 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

8   Artiste rejecting basically shining fancy costume (6) ATTIRE ARTIsTE*

9   Investigation of lock-up fencing ended (8) COVERAGE {C{OVER}AGE}

11 Continuing review of private record with a lecturer (9) PERENNIAL {INNER}{EP}<=}{A}{L}

12 Picture that is shared by periodical (5) IMAGE {I{MAG}E}

13 Duplicate papers with a client abroad (9) IDENTICAL {ID}{A+CLIENT}*

16 Search some baroque style (5) QUEST [T]

17 Press counter jamming street left in one side of passage (7) NOSTRIL {NO{ST}RI<=}{L}

19 Perhaps triblet is delicate (7) BRITTLE*

21 Idea to finish off each incomplete market place (5) P?A?A (Addendum - PLAZA {PLAn}{ZAp} - See comments)

22 Except first boy crowd stopping every individual nearby (9) REACHABLE {RAbBLE} over {EACH}

24 Relative value of collaboration (5) RATIO [HIPS]

25 Verification returned including large network in diagram of building (5,4) FLOOR PLAN {PROO{l}F<=}{LAN}

27 Promises to carry skirts of toile and tops (8) SWEATERS {SWEA{ToilE}RS} Definition corrected to TOPS by the setter.

28 Tough stain outside old building at the top (6) ROBUST {R{O}{Bu...g}UST}

DOWN

1   Arrived shortly followed by personal assistant to get gin cocktail for champion (8) CAMPAIGN {CAMe]{PA}{GIN*}

2   Look around very fast (6) STARVE {STAR{V}E}

3   Cereal label-date missing (4) BRAN BRANd

4   Rob flipping gadget (4) TOOL<=

5   Abandoned liberal squire in hot desert (10) RELINQUISH {L+SQUIRE+IN+H}

6   Cleared area kept for bird (8) PARAKEET* 

7   Join church workers on time (6) CEMENT {CE}{MEN}{T}

10 Flyer arranging crucial seminar finally (8) CIRCULAR {CRUCIAL}*{s...aR}

14 Clay creator mixed with dry ceramic essentially (10) TERRACOTTA {CREATOR}*{TT}{cerAmic}

15 The French brother leading a party with rector in Canadian province (8) LABRADOR {LA}{BR}{A}{DO}{R}

18 Surprised celebrity at last met the Spanish upcoming director (8) STARTLED {STAR}{meT}{EL<=}{D}

20 With son leaving western town, heading off forever (8) ETERNITY {wEsTERN+cITY}

21 Expression of Republican entering stage (6) PHRASE }PH{R}ASE}

23 Heard couple of bovines or bird? (6) BULBUL (~bullbull)

25 Support king to divide (4) FORK {FOR}{K}

26 Patriots controlling chaos (4) RIOT [HIPS]

Reference List

Record = EP, Lecturer = L, Papers = ID, Street = ST, Left = L, Boy = B, Large = L, Network = LAN, Old = O, Very = V, Date = D, Liberal = L, Hot = H, Church = CE, Time = T, Dry = TT, The in French = LA, Brother = BR, Rector = R, The in Spanish = EL, Director = D, With = W, Son = S, Republican = R, King = K