No 14697, Thursday 22 Jan 2026, Incognito

Solution to 29D 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   Actress Lucille's boy gets everything (4) BALL {B}{ALL}

9   Fowl transported by mid-morning... carried by air (5) FLOWN {FOWL*}{morNing}

10 Suspend Chinese girl (4) HANG {HAN}{G}

11 Bachelor throwing corn, with love, for wild horse (6) BRONCO {B}{CORN}{0}

12 Buried one with book and made a mistake (8) INTERRED {1}{NT}{ERRED} 

13 Before middle of operation, California doctor covers the bishop's seat (8) CATHEDRA {o..rAt..n}<=>{CA}{DR} over {THE}

15 Violently slay, er, in sanctuary (6) ASYLUM {SLAY*}{UM} 

17 Waste fried eatables (7) FRITTER [DD]

19 Hopelessness from touring Paris after Germany (7) DESPAIR {PARIS*}<=>{DE}

22 Colour repaired sliding door when lords go away (6) INDIGO {slIDING+doOr}*

24 Fascinating method of attaching metal sheets (8) RIVETING [DD]

26 Gnu runs with fruit on starting to hear terrible shoot-out (8) GUNFIGHT {GNU*}{FIG}{Hear}{Te...e}

28 Discuss a type of tree I left (6) CONFER CONiFER

30 Prohibit nitrogen in shed (4) BARN {BAR}{N}

31 American statesman getting 10 in 10, including an 'A' (5) TEXAN {TE{X}{A}N}

32 Direction right on the map? (4) EAST [CD/GK]

DOWN

1   So left sailor in confusion in den (4) LAIR sAILoR*

2   Chinese alien follows scheme to make coin blank (8) PLANCHET {CH}{ET}<=>{PLAN}

3   Have enough money for a fine car (6) AFFORD {A}{F}{FORD}

4   Coal placed around highway from London to Leeds by Charlie? It's funny! (7) COMICAL {CO{M1}{C}AL}

5   Start and excitedly eat in it after one (8) INITIATE {EAT+IN+IT}*<=>{1}

6   Shout about that lady's fruit (6) CHERRY {C{HER}RY}

7   Keen to break joint? (4) KNEE*

14 Public Relations Officer wearing a new pinny (5) APRON {A}{PRO}{N}

16 University inn arranged to cover ring for marriage (5) UNION {U}{NI{O}N*}

18 Extend Musk's portal (8) ELONGATE {ELON}{GATE}

20 Secured IP rights for portable accommodation possessed by father and editor (8) PATENTED {PA}{TENT}{ED}

21 Exert erroneously in physical training and excuse (7) PRETEXT {P{EXERT*}T}

23 Horribly faint after taking in a bit of noxious tot (6) INFANT {FAINT}* over {No...s}

25 Empty tin in vessel (6) VACANT {VA{CAN}T}

27 Them flying around North Pole results in snafu, perhaps (4) USAF {USAF+N}*=SNAFU

29 Simple Yankee follows nearly 32 (4) E?S? 

Reference List

Boy = B, Girl = G, Bachelor = B, Book = NT(New Testament), ER = UM, Germany = DE, Chinese = CH, Alien = ET, Fine = F, Charlie = C, New = N, University = U, Editor = ED, North Pole = N