Friday, 30 January 2026

No 14704, Friday 30 Jan 2026, Dr. X

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY
All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

ACROSS
1   Star's rebellious boy does meth at premiere (8)
5   Article about unionist becoming insolvent (6)
10 Succeeded, made a comeback after good fortune in Indian city (7)
11 Most attractive presenter entertaining models on base (7)
12 Coach in academy inspires mate (5)
13 Liaison with hot rogue when husband's away leads to separation (9)
14 Groan about working for lout, extremely rude and bossy type of person (7,5)
18 See head of elite club terribly overwhelmed by anxiety in notorious controversy (5,7)
21 Feeling excited, turned on by drug (9)
23 Escort inviting prince for orgy (5)
24 See 9 Down
25 Charged with loud exclamation of disgust to interrupt scoundrel (7)
26 University girl catches ultimately vile pervert (6)
27 Short joke playing in reel's funny (3-5)

DOWN
1   Marry girl finally, overwhelmed by excitement (6)
2   Help out emcee entertaining posh relatives (4,2)
3   Bars almost everywhere in old Indian city (9)
4   Unhappy with the modus operandi in new whodunnit (4,2,3,5)
6   Cavities in infant, rampant (5)
7   Arguments in building (8)
8   Rodent-eating serpent in a tanker abandoned outside society (3,5)
9 & 24 Inadvertently harm one's own interests, leaving one with a limp perhaps? (5,7,2,3,4)
15 Stop in jungle with everyone (9)
16 No Bumrah ultimately! Somehow, coach must adapt (8)
17 Start to seductively take off summer garment (8)
19 Men drink outside island's base (6)
20 Decay in strong organic compound (6)
22 Rebels in revolutionary activity around southern border of Mexico (5)

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55 comments:

  1. professorX30 January 2026 at 08:15

    Today was tough going .... couldn't get many 😞

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brajesh30 January 2026 at 08:24

    8d Rat snake from rodent- rat and S erpent t ANKE r sanke anagram snake

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vijaya Shankar30 January 2026 at 08:38

    4d down in the month = unhappy. Anagram of whodunnit+ the + mo ( modası operandi).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brajesh30 January 2026 at 08:39

    15d forestall - stop from forest - jungle , all- everyone

    ReplyDelete
  5. Vijaya Shankar30 January 2026 at 08:39

    13a isolation = separation. Anagram of liasison +hot with ' h'' ( husband )away.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brajesh30 January 2026 at 08:43

    27a one liner short joke from playing- ON and in reel anagram

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vijaya Shankar30 January 2026 at 08:54

    10a = Lucknow. Succeeded backward = now. Good fortune= luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Padmanabhan30 January 2026 at 09:04

      Mention must be made of 'After'- indicating now comes after Luck. Every word is important.

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 11:19

      The split congress has rejoined in Lucknow, in 1916 and Bal Gangadhar Tilak played a crucial role. It is he who gave this Luck+now= Lucknow as we know it from History texts.

      Delete
  8. Vijaya Shankar30 January 2026 at 09:05

    3d Bangalore. Bars = ban; galore = almost everywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Vijaya Shankar30 January 2026 at 09:07

    11a hottest = most attractive. Presenter = host, entertaining models = tt, ön base = e.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:10

    6D Antra (rampant)
    7D. Premises ( basic premises in the argument and premises , a building )
    20D Fester, Fe (iron, st from strong)
    Please give time to give complete annotation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Padmanabhan30 January 2026 at 09:26

      20D is incorrect. Always give solutions ONLY with correct anno. No issues if 2 0r more give the same solution. No marks for early solution without anno.

      Delete
    2. Sathia30 January 2026 at 09:31

      Check 6D. Answer lies in between words!
      Sathia

      Delete
    3. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 11:16

      Yes,

      Delete
  11. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:15

    My correction to 20D
    Ester is an organic compound, Fe (iron, represents strong )

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:21

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:26

    12A. China ( coach in academy )
    In hockey dialect, China is a slang for mate( a fried, coach). Even in south Africa, China is mate in the sense of a buddy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia30 January 2026 at 09:29

      Check meaning of China and you will get the definition!
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:41

      Typo, cockney dialect ( * hockey)
      Yes, China means a friend (mate= ship's captain and so a coach probably)

      Delete
  14. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:32

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:42

    21 A , under tone( from turned on)
    By drug is indicator of CW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Devi Prasad30 January 2026 at 09:47

      Your quota is over.

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan30 January 2026 at 09:49

      Drug is E. You must mention why 'Excited'?
      Indicator of CW?!

      Delete
    3. Sathia30 January 2026 at 09:52

      I think you are getting solutions but not effectively understanding fully the surface of a clue. In a cryptic clue you need to look at the clue sharply to understand the pointers to solution.
      Feeling= definition
      Excited gives a clue something is getting jumbled/anagram indicator
      (Turned on) are the letters getting jumbled.
      Then clue also says drug, which means
      Drug=e
      Now you get the annotation.
      Feeling = undertone
      (Turned on)* + e
      I hope you will take this positively to improve your solving skill!
      Sathia

      Delete
    4. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:53

      Only 4 are done, one I have still.
      Thanks for reminding Devi Prasad ji

      Delete
    5. Devi Prasad30 January 2026 at 09:58

      6D,7D,20D,12A,21A done by you.

      Delete
    6. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 11:14

      Ok ,
      I'm under scanner.

      Delete
  16. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 09:55

    26A, Misuse
    Pervert (def) is misuse
    University (u), girl(miss) catches ultimately vile means (e, the final letter )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia30 January 2026 at 10:07

      You are almost there!
      University is U
      Girl catches means Miss catches the above U,
      Then ultimately vile means last letter of vile which is e.
      Pervert is the definition.
      Pervert= (mis(u)s+e)
      Good. keep it up 👍
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 11:13

      Will follow up, thanks dear

      Delete
  17. Sathia30 January 2026 at 11:00

    1A: star= somebody
    (Boy does)*
    Rebellious anagram indicator
    Meth at premiere is m
    Hence, (so(m)ebody)
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  18. H Ramachandran30 January 2026 at 11:01

    18a. CAUSE CÉLÈBRE. =. Notorious controversy
    CARE. =. Anxiety
    E =Head of Elite
    CA(SEE E CLUB)*RE
    CA+U+SE+. C+E+L+E+B+RE
    Terribly. = Anagrind for SEE E & CLUB
    Overwhelmed = Contain ind

    ReplyDelete
  19. Devi Prasad30 January 2026 at 11:01

    14A: control freak=bossy type of person
    groan(creak) about working(on) (for)
    lout extremely(lt), rude=anagrind,
    {(for)(lt)}*=(trolf)
    {c(on)(trolf)reak}

    ReplyDelete
  20. Remy30 January 2026 at 11:05

    17 d summer garment-sundress.
    S eductively - S take off -undress .sundress

    ReplyDelete
  21. AJ30 January 2026 at 11:20

    9d and 24a
    SHOOT ONESELF ON THE FOOT: harm one’s own interests inadvertently
    Limp indicates shoot on the foot

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kiran30 January 2026 at 11:29

    16d ACCUSTOM (adapt)
    {coac(-h) must}*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandagondi Naresh30 January 2026 at 11:43

      Jaspreet Bumrah( a bowler), so no Bumrah means (coach-c=coac) added to must is accustomed
      Adapt (def),
      I got it now
      Best wishes

      Delete
  23. Radhamani30 January 2026 at 11:37

    5a
    Insolvent =pauper
    Article=paper
    Unionist=u
    (Paper+u)*

    ReplyDelete
  24. Jacob Brahmakulam30 January 2026 at 12:03

    3d BANGALORE; old Indian city; BANs GALORE;

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jacob Brahmakulam30 January 2026 at 12:06

    Substitute for 3d
    22d RIOTS; rebels; mexicO in STIR <=

    ReplyDelete
  26. N Sridhar30 January 2026 at 12:08

    1D-splice=marry; girL ; excitement=spice; sp(l)ice

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sathia30 January 2026 at 12:38

    IMO 2D, 15D, 19D, 23A, 25A are yet to be solved.
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  28. RR30 January 2026 at 12:42

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. RR30 January 2026 at 12:43

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sree Sree30 January 2026 at 13:32

    25a Charged:fraught. F ra(ugh)t

    ReplyDelete

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