Friday, 23 January 2026

No 14698, Friday 23 Jan 2026, Incognito

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY
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PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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ACROSS
1   Unpaid? Super! (11) OUTSTANDING [DD]
9   Swears on affidavit typed hastily, for starters, and signs finally (5) OATHS {On}{Af...t}{Ty..d}{Ha...y}{s..nS}
10 Prudent to go around country with Romeo and Lothario (9) WOMANISER {W{OMAN}ISE}{R}
11 Misleading clue for "Sacred ornament worn by her after removing pouch" (3,7) RED HERRING {sacRED}{RING} over {HER}
12 Wiki wrongly spelt bird (4) KIWI*
13 Fine cotton thread from large island (5) LISLE {L}{ISLE}
15 Excitedly petting around end of arm and seducing (8) TEMPTING {TE{arM}PTING*}
17 Talking without a bandage (8) DRESSING adDRESSING Deletion indicator for D missing
19 Boy leaves river submerging girl's animal (5) TIGER {TI(-b}ER} over {G}
22 Uncovered part of menu deleted (4) NUDE [T]
23 No place to die inside the house (6-4) LIVING-ROOM [C&DD]
26 Savage baron is in front of funny Arabian carrying redhead (9) BARBARIAN {B}{A{Re...d}BARIAN*}
27 Prod guardsmen giving up arms and running (5) NUDGE {GUarDsmEN}*
28 Little dog with European mother's mother consumed fruit (11) POMEGRANATE {POM}{E}{GRAN}{ATE}

DOWN
1   Chose operation to explore deep initially (5) OPTED {OP}{To}{Ex...e}{Deep}
2   Seattle preparation on ship is insipid (9) TASTELESS {SEATTLE}*{SS}
3   Worst construction around eastern skyscrapers (6) TOWERS {TOW{E}RS*}
4   Named person... one jumping around pit (7) NOMINEE {NO{MINE}E*}
5   Charged particles found in onion skin (4) IONS [T]
6   Going, consuming small sip, and indulging in idle talk (9) GOSSIPING {GO{S}{SIP}ING}
7   Rolls Royce is parked in fuel enclosure (6) CORRAL {CO{RR}AL}
8   Is making a mistake placing ornament behind queen (6) ERRING {RING}<=>{ER}
14 Policeman's stake-out near road wrongly taped person... Not on! (5,4) SPEED TRAP {TAPED+PERSon}*
16 A label fixed in piano built in South American region (9) PATAGONIA {A}{TAG} in {PIANO}*
17 European carrying university boy's flower (6) DANUBE {DAN{U}{B}E}
18 Perhaps, transfixing top class fish behind end of barn (7) NAILING {A1}{LING}<=>{barN}
20 The Desert Fox starting to march in capital with trainee (6) ROMMEL {RO{Ma..h}ME}{L}
21 Flower from Zulu hostelry is available in the beginning (6) ZINNIA {Z}{INN}{Is}{Av...e}
24 Historically popular song, perhaps, in soldier's heart (5) OLDIE [HIPS}
25 Moderately hot conflict with maiden (4) WARM {WAR}{M}

Reference List
Romeo = R, Large = L, Boy = B, Girl = G, Baron = B, Ship = SS, Eastern = E, Small = S, Rolls Royce = RR, Queen = ER, University = U, Trainee = L, Zulu = Z, Maiden = M



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51 comments:

  1. Shay23 January 2026 at 07:16

    9A - OATHS - Swears; (O)n (A)ff..t (T)y..d (H)as..y and sign(S)
    12A - KIWI - Bird; Wiki - anagram; wrongly - anagrid
    27A - NUDGE - Prod; GUarDsmEN-arms (giving up); anagrid - running
    Anagram - GUDEN
    2D - TOWERS - Skyscrapers; anagram - WORST around (E)astern; anagrid - construction
    5D - IONS - Charged particles; onION Skin - telescopic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shay23 January 2026 at 07:32

      Read 2D as 3D. The clue and solve is 3D. Apologies

      Delete
  2. Brajesh23 January 2026 at 08:05

    2d tasteless - insipid anagram of Seattle and ss
    1a outstanding - unpaid - super
    6 d Gossiping idle talk from anagram of going S sip

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brajesh23 January 2026 at 08:07

    8 d erring making mistakes from er queen and ring ornament

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brajesh23 January 2026 at 08:10

    13a lisle fine thread from L arge ISLE island

    ReplyDelete
  5. B Sankaranarayanan23 January 2026 at 08:36

    1D. OPTED = chose - first letters of words in clue

    ReplyDelete
  6. B Sankaranarayanan23 January 2026 at 08:38

    25D. WARM = moderately hot - WAR (conflict) with M (maiden)

    ReplyDelete
  7. B Sankaranarayanan23 January 2026 at 08:41

    22A. NUDE = uncovered, telescopic - meN UDEleted

    ReplyDelete
  8. B Sankaranarayanan23 January 2026 at 08:46

    13A. LISLE = fine cotton thread - L for large + ISLE for island

    ReplyDelete
  9. Suresh M S23 January 2026 at 08:59

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dr Hareendranath23 January 2026 at 09:11

    15a TEMPTING =seducing
    {PETTING+a̶r̶M}*
    17a DRESSING =bandage
    talking =ADRESSING -A
    19a TIGER=animal
    river=TIBER-(B)oy
    submerges (G)irl
    23a LIVING ROOM=no place to die
    Inside house &lit
    24d OLDIE=Histoically popular song
    S̶(OLDIE)R̶

    ReplyDelete
  11. VeeJayeN23 January 2026 at 09:11

    Todays puzzle seemed too easy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vasanthi23 January 2026 at 09:16

    10ac womaniser (w(oman) ise(r)
    1ac outstanding (DD)
    4dn nominee mine in(one) *
    19ac tiger ti(-b+g) er
    25dn warm (war) m

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:34

      10A. Prudent, wise is prudent
      Oman [country), Romeo and Lothario[R]
      W(oman) ise+r
      Lothario is one selfishly behaving with woman, in his sensual relationships.

      Delete
  13. Radhamani23 January 2026 at 09:25

    4d
    Named person=nominee
    Pit=mine
    (One+mine)*=nominee

    ReplyDelete
  14. Padmanabhan23 January 2026 at 09:31

    17A- Talking is 'Addressing'? (with 2 D's) So it should be minus 'AD'?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:03

    28 A. Pomegranate
    Little dog is pom( short form of pommeranian dog.)
    Although pomme , the French word for apple can be considered it isn't a direct short for pomegranate)
    Europen(e), mother's mother is grany(gran) consumed is eat(ate)
    So, pom+ e+ gran+ ate
    Please don't curse if annotation doesn't match yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak Gopinath23 January 2026 at 12:13

      It's not a question of cursing. It's is a question of using believable logic

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 12:28

      Right sire, will live up to it next time

      Delete
  16. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:12

    26 A barbarian (savage def.)
    Baron (b)+ Arabian+ redhead (R, head indicates it should be first, perhaps)
    16 D. Patagonia
    Piano + tago( a region)
    A label ( a tag!?)
    Patagonia
    Tago is a region in Phillipines and not in south America)
    Please suggest any corrections

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 10:21

      A label=a tag, in piano, built is anagrind, (piano)*=(ponia)
      {p(atag)onia}

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:25

      Ok,

      Delete
    3. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:27

      What about the south American region?
      How to account for it?

      Delete
    4. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 10:28

      Patagonia is south american region.

      Delete
  17. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:14

    14 D speed trap ( speed braker) Direct clue
    Taped person ( speed trap)
    Wrongly ( CW indicator)

    ReplyDelete
  18. gowri23 January 2026 at 10:17

    14d; policeman"s stake = SPEED TRAP
    Anagram of TAPED + PERS(PERSON-ON)

    ReplyDelete
  19. gowri23 January 2026 at 10:20

    16d: PATAGONIA-> South american region
    label=TAG
    Anagram of A+TAG+PIANO

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:24

    21 D , Zinnia, a flower( of sun flower family)
    Beginning ( CW indicator of Z)
    Zulu(z) hostelry(Inn) ,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 10:30

      Your quota of five is finished. Don't attempt any more.

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 10:36

      Will obey

      Delete
    3. Deepak Gopinath23 January 2026 at 12:25

      Where does the I and A come from? You have not explained that

      Delete
    4. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 12:29

      It is a failure. Please suggest

      Delete
    5. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 12:45

      Zulu(z), hostelry(inn), is(i), available(a)

      Delete
    6. Col_Gopinath23 January 2026 at 12:49

      Please desist from giving the solution instead give them hints on how to get the solutions.

      Delete
    7. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 13:00

      Honestly that was my answer. I hesitated !
      Thanks

      Delete
  21. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 11:00

    11A:red herring=misleading clue
    sacred-sac(pouch)=red, ornament(ring) worn by (her)
    {(red)(her)(ring)}

    ReplyDelete
  22. D N M Rao23 January 2026 at 11:00

    11Ac RED HERRING - {(sac)RED}{HER}{RING}

    ReplyDelete
  23. D N M Rao23 January 2026 at 11:01

    7Dn CORRAL - { CO{RR}AL}

    ReplyDelete
  24. Remy23 January 2026 at 11:01

    7 dn Corral-enclosure
    .coal-fuel RR-Rolls Royce co(rr)al

    ReplyDelete
  25. Remy23 January 2026 at 11:04

    compensating for 7 dn
    20 dn Rommel -desert fox.
    Rom m(March):e l-trainee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 12:20

      Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel, known as The Desert Fox, was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II.

      Delete
  26. Sathia23 January 2026 at 11:41

    17D: flower= Danube
    ((Dan(u)(b)e))
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 12:17

      Not really learnt.
      How Danube is flower? If it is taken as a river then ( Flow+er) might be considered.
      Assuming that European(E) , University (U), Boy(B)
      Can Flower be Dan?
      As far as I know, no flower by name Dan. However, there are several plants with "Dan" in their name or specific cultivars named after people called Dan:

      Delete
    2. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 12:35

      Danube is a river. Flower=one which flows=river.

      Delete
    3. Devi Prasad23 January 2026 at 12:41

      European=dane, carrying university(u) boy(b), {dan(ub)e}

      Delete
    4. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 12:59

      Ok,

      Delete
  27. AJ23 January 2026 at 11:54

    18d NAILING: transfixing
    N: end of barn. AI: top class. LING: fish

    ReplyDelete
  28. Padmanabhan23 January 2026 at 13:12

    21D- you must read the clue fully. It says " Is Available in the beginning"- Beginning (first letters) is I & A.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mandagondi Naresh23 January 2026 at 14:22

    Ok,

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ashok Srinivasan23 January 2026 at 15:50

    20D - Rommel. Capital: Rome and desert fox: Erwin Rommel, known as desert fox

    ReplyDelete

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