The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 43, 15 Feb 2026, Arden

ACROSS

1   Other ways to occupy dead ruin (3,5) LAY WASTE {LA{WAYS*}TE}

5   One who leads not a school of fish (6) KIPPER sKIPPER

10 Business acquires original plays and music (7) CALYPSO {C{PLAY*}O}

11 A small car is for small intestinal roundworms (7) ASCARIS {A}{S}{CAR}{IS}

12 Cut shooter into two parts (5) SHORN {S}{HORN}

13 German song describes love in a single lounge (3,6) LIE AROUND {LIE{A}{R{O}UN}D}

14 The objective of a church rebel could be a contentious issue among the public (5,7) CAUSE CELEBRE {CAUSE}{CE}{REBEL*}

18 Financial resources trail leaves uniform lines (5,7) PURSE STRINGS {PURSuE}{STRINGS}

21 Form shows current state is traditional (9) CLASSICAL {CLASS}{I}{CAL}

23 Old South American is preserved (5) INCAN {IN CAN}

24 It reduces visibility - starts raining and later cold wind (7) MISTRAL {MIST}{Ra...g}{And}{La..r}

25 Royal without guard - essentially put at risk (7) IMPERIL IMPERIaL

26 Cut equal sides for a change (6) NICKEL {NICK}{EquaL}

27 Brief binge drinking - peg knocked back (8) FLEETING {FL{TEE<=}ING}

DOWN

1   Crop destroyer not even once overcome by hunger (6) LOCUST {L{OnCe}UST}

2   Call from the centre of town for chicken (6) YELLOW {YELL}{tOWn}

3   Supplement application shortly before closing time (9) APPENDAGE {APP}{END}{AGE}

4   Difficult to predict the outcome - so collect a tool anyway (3,5,2,4) TOO CLOSE TO CALL*

6   Bring on as part of the main curriculum (5) INCUR [T]

7   Upsets by means of unusual burst (8) PERTURBS {PER}{BURST*}

8  Feels sorry about other side as they're left behind (8) RESIDUES {R{SIDE*}UES}

9   Elk running around capital hill? Don't worry, relax (4,1,5,4) TAKE A CHILL PILL {ELK+CAPITAL+HILL}* 

15 Harry appealing for a bonus (9) LAGNIAPPE*

16 Tailor not even many pieces to make a sample (8) SPECIMEN {MaNy+PIECES}*

17 Crisis at random during an early period of earth's history (8) TRIASSIC*

19 First of all, one can try reducing one's individual duty (6) OCTROI Acrostic

20 Relatively short to go up - it's clear (6) UNCLOG {UNCLe}{GO<=}

22 By Saturday, Yen sees an upswing (5) SURGE {S}{URGE}

Reference List

School = S, Business = CO, Small = S, Hooter = HORN, Church = CE, Uniform = U, Peg = TEE, Saturday = S