No 14275, Tuesday 24 Feb 2026, Arden

Solution to 10A 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

1   Fantastic idea, note India gets more coverage - it's a reminder (4-7) AIDE-MEMOIRE {IDEA*}{ME{MO}{I}RE}

7   Stole a launch, almost (3) BOA BOAt

9   Old jail they say is best (5) EXCEL {EX}{(~cell)CEL}

10 Regularly impair by blocking new beneficiary (9) R?C?P?E?T ()

11 Motherland's hell-fire (9) DAMNATION {DAM}{NATION}

12 Like to check however, for fungus (5) YEAST {YE{AS}T}

13 Brief pull out (7) EXTRACT [DD]

15 Keep here evenly - you'll need it for fencing (4) EPEE {kEeP+hErE}

18 Boring review of a poet (4) DRAB<=

20 Playing team - regret about it being not professional (7) AMATEUR {TEAM*}{RUE<=}

23 Groom very softly bites lip (5) PRIMP {P{RIM}P}

24 Respite on assignment (9) REMISSION {RE}{MISSION}

26 "Drink from birth" - recollected a cheat (9) CHARLATAN {CHAR}{NATAL<=}

27 Forget talk of rejecting some coffee (5) LATTE [T<=]

28 Wool supplier - see how one ends up (3) EWE Tail acrostic

29 They look for another aspect with Harry (6,5) SEARCH PARTY {ASPECT+HARRY}*

DOWN

1   Bluebeard - born and raised in the city (8) ABERDEEN {BEARD}*{NEE<=}

2   Killed uprising- China will destroy (8) DECIMATE {ICED<=}{MATE}

3   Holding formal talks in the island nation (5) MALTA [T]

4   Red planet swallows eleven tons (7) MARXIST {MAR{XI}S}{T}

5   Infuriate a smoker (7) INCENSE [DD] 

6   Perhaps same hype about millions suffering from breathlessness (9) EMPHYSEMA {SAME+HYPE}* over {M}

7   Extra police for regulation by local authorities (6) BYELAW {BYE}{LAW}

8   Cause trustee to reject the odd ones - very clever (6) ASTUTE {cAuSe+TrUsTeE}

14 After a harvest, grain storage came up in the outskirts of Athens (9) ACROPOLIS {A}{CROP}{SILO<=}

16 Go-between randomly to admire (8) MEDIATOR* 

17 Greenhouse or cross over energy? (8) ORANGERY {OR}{ANG{E}RY}

19 Bitter about a cap - part of habit (7) BIRETTA {BITTER}*{A}

20 Annual call by clearing banks - crazy to lose interest (7) ALMANAC {cALl}{MANiAC}

21 Father in pain, is brave (6) APACHE {A{PA}CHE}

22 Delusion over border, time to support (6) MIRAGE {RIM<=}{AGE}

25 Maybe helps to carry (5) SHLEP*

Reference List

Note = MO, India = I, Old = EX, Mother = DAM, Very softly = PP, On = RE, Drink = CHAR, Born = NEE, Tons = T, Millions = M, Extra = BYE, Energy = E, Interest = I