No 14696, Wednesday 21 Jan 2026, Arden

Solution to 22D 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

9   Crucify people in the wrong (7) TORMENT {TOR{MEN}T}

10 Empty vessel interrupting a game (7) PARKOUR {P{ARK}OUR}

11 Part of steel bonnet to reclaim honour (7) ENNOBLE [T<=]

12 Protected circle giving the glad eye (7) LEERING {LEE}{RING}

13 The devil gets credit - is he looking after the church affairs? (9) SACRISTAN {SA{CR}{IS}TAN}

15 Game on a flat dry ground (5) PLAYA {PLAY}{A}

16 First of all, can you prevent the commotion over a Greek dialect? (7) CYPRIOT {Can}{You}{Pr...t}{RIOT} What's the role of OVER?

19 Serious listener's abode (7) EARNEST {EAR}{NEST}

20 Ridicule the occasional calumny in Times (5) TAUNT {T}{cAlUmNy}{T}

21 Overwhelmed as association lets us in (9) AWESTRUCK {AS}{TRUCK} over {WE}

25 Containers for clubs' bearers, perhaps (7) CADDIES [DD]

26 Is he against work? That's the question (7) OPPOSER {OP}{POSER}

28 Blimp goes abroad - Paris gets a greeting (7) AIRSHIP {AIRS{HI}P*}

29 Advance permits arranged (7) IMPREST*

DOWN

1   Afterwards put in a small capital (6) ATHENS {A}{THEN}{S}

2   Satirical contents - bird song, nice? (6) IRONIC {bIRd}{sONg}{nICe}

3   "Press one for superb"- at the end of it all, one is European (4) SERB Tail Acrostic

4   Declare it's time to stop a match (6) ATTEST {T} in {A}{TEST}

5   Cry in the past about grandeur (8) OPULENCE {O{PULE}NCE}

6   Booze on the house for a Bohemian (4,6) FREE SPIRIT [DD]

7   Mention about accepting a label (8) NOMINATE {NOMIN{A}TE*}

8   Show off lifted dress label right inside (8) BRAGGART {GARB<=}{T{R}AG<=} Reversal indicator in the wrong place

14 Visual alarm - activate it and I hit gold! (5,5) IDIOT LIGHT  {IT+I+HIT+GOLD}* 

16 A whale perhaps can protect an alien one (8) CETACEAN {C{ET}{ACE}AN}

17 Rifles - please store below (8) PLUNDERS {PL{UNDER}S} 

18 Patterns used in the arm of a church (8) TRANSEPT* 

22 Foreign state having eat set up (6) E?O?I? 

23 Bad result from Northern Ireland (6) ULSTER*

24 Take care to disrobe - fancy sport? (6) KARATE {TAKE+cARe}* 

27 Story teller's keeping quiet about the bishop of Rome (4) POPE {PO{P}E}

Reference List

Wrong = TORT, Protected = LEE, Credit = CR, Time = T, Association = TRUCK, Work = OP, Small = S, Right = R, Alien = ET, Please = PL, Quiet = P