Wednesday, 1 July 2026

No 14834, Wednesday 01 Jul 2026, Gridzilla

Solution to 23A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only 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   They need to be taught a lesson about failure (6) PUPILS SLIP-UP<=
4   One's c-cross to bear? (6) AFFORD {A}{F-FORD}
8   One street goes around Italian city (7) TRIESTE {1+STREET}*
9   Man! With this braggart, I get most annoyed (7) EGOTIST {EGOTIST+M}*=I+GET+MOST [CA]
11 Estimation of a tax shown to the auditor (10) ASSESSMENT (~ a cess meant)
12 Go to lake and strip (4) PEEL {PEE}{L}
13 Husband is excitedly eating American dish (5) SUSHI {H+IS}* over {US}
14 OMG! It's a new change, designed to reduce pollution (8) ANTISMOG {OMG+ITS+A+N}*
16 A dashing personality? (8) SPRINTER [CD]
18 Sailing east, around Australia (2,3) AT SEA {EAST}*{A}
20 Nitwit knocked back rum bottles only (4) DODO {ODD<=} over {O}
21 According to Spooner, many excelled in swimming event (10) BACKSTROKE (~stack broke to backstroke)
23 One suspect reportedly gets betrayed (4,3) ?O?D ?U? (Addendum - SOLD OUT (~sole doubt to sold out) - See comments)
24 Reason one can't travel abroad to Germany, or a city in Serbia? (4,3) NOVI SAD {NO VISA}{D}
25 Part of cliff or a fjord receding in the distance (3,3) FAR OFF [T]
26 Heard Frank finally got a revolver (6) PLANET {(~plain)PLANE}{goT} Incorrect homophone See comments

DOWN
1   First to finish remaining prunes? (5) PARES (-s)PARE(+s)S
2   Wants to guide chaps playing soccer primarily (7) PREFERS {Pl...g}{REFER}{So...r}
3   That's life, working for a 2 pm -10 pm job perhaps (4,5) LATE SHIFT*
5   Fellow takes time out in tough contest (5) FIGHT {F}{tIGHT}
6   Commanding officer turned up to discharge one of the marines? (7) OCTOPUS {CO<=}{TO}{PUS}
7   Dame, one who's murdered ultimately in play? (9) DESDEMONA {DAME+ONE+whoS+m...eD}* &lit
10 Amateur gets inspired by fantastic career in a team sport (5,4) RELAY RACE {LAY} in {CAREER}*
13 Gradually steal in shop? (6,3) SIPHON OFF {IN+SHOP}* [RA]
15 Brown can on the counter has a bit of dill and mushroom (9) TOADSTOOL {TOA{Dill}ST}{LOO<=}
17 Sample from skin or dermis is ok (2,5) IN ORDER [T]
19 European dancing in bar - extremely seductive (7) SERBIAN {IN+BAR+Se...vE}*
21 Downright lie! (5) BLUFF [DD]
22 Snake kept rattling and intimidated trespassers at the outset (5) KRAIT Acrostic

Reference List
Man = M, Lake = L, New = N, Australia = A, Only = O, Germany = D, Fellow = F, Can = LOO 
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38 comments:

  1. Sree Sree1 July 2026 at 08:39

    26a cambridge sounds same Col.
    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/plane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Padmanabhan1 July 2026 at 08:48

      I think it is about how you pronounce 'Planet' ( Play sound does not come in)

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan1 July 2026 at 08:50

      ....as in plane/ plain

      Delete
    3. Sree Sree1 July 2026 at 09:02

      That's allowed. Like 17d yesterday
      CHAOTIC {CHA{O}T}{I}{(~see)C}

      Delete
    4. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:41

      Its a charade clue. Homophone of plain (frank) = plane +T (finally got)

      Delete
    5. Deepak Gopinath1 July 2026 at 11:07

      Yes, my mistake. I was reading the whole thing

      Delete
    6. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 11:21

      😃🙏🏽

      Delete
  2. Padmanabhan1 July 2026 at 08:46

    A good CW but I found it difficult to get going. Needed a lot of help. Maybe I was distracted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:42

      It is a challenging CW given by Gridzilla. Some are new words and some clues are styled differently from earlier generational CW setters.
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:51

      Loved the clue 6d.
      Sathia

      Delete
    3. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:51

      thanks

      Delete
  3. N Sridhar1 July 2026 at 09:25

    2D-guide is refer or reefer? What’s the role of chaps here

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:43

      chaps is an insertion indicator. To guide = refer (in) P S

      Delete
    2. Deepak Gopinath1 July 2026 at 11:08

      I put in USHER first and was stuck for a while with {P}{USHER}{S}

      Delete
  4. N Sridhar1 July 2026 at 09:26

    Is 7 D a CD

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:39

    Typo in 2D, it is (refer) not (reefer).
    Chaps playing anagrind?
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  6. N Sridhar1 July 2026 at 09:47

    Maybe chaps is used in the sense of cracks. Insert in between p and s ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:50

      Agreed. But, there is no container indicator to shoe (refer)* to be placed between p and s.
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Sree Sree1 July 2026 at 09:51

      There is no anagram. Chaps is insertion indicator

      Delete
  7. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:47

    Also, in 4A, what is c-cross?
    Is it a car released by Ford?
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sree Sree1 July 2026 at 09:53

      Ford v cross

      Delete
    2. Sathia1 July 2026 at 09:54

      Google says Ford Freestyle hatchback was sold in India.
      Does it give (F-Ford)?
      Sathia

      Delete
    3. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:46

      It's a stuttering clue Sathia ji. A c-cross = a f-ford

      Delete
    4. Sathia1 July 2026 at 10:54

      Thanks.
      Sathia

      Delete
    5. Padmanabhan1 July 2026 at 11:31

      Something different from routine but correct

      Delete
  8. N Sridhar1 July 2026 at 10:01

    Cross = ford; the extra f from ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gemini1 July 2026 at 10:06

    Aside: is SPRINTER ,a homograph? Though it is a DD

    ReplyDelete
  10. Steadyhands921 July 2026 at 10:10

    23. SOLD OUT. sole doubt. Reportedly is sounds like. One suspect

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mandagondi Naresh1 July 2026 at 10:20

    23D,.sold out=
    Gets betrayed means sold out.
    soul doubt means one suspect.
    reportedly indicates spoonerism.
    Spooner's word is soul doubt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:39

      Naresh ji..reportedly is a homophone indicator not spoonerism. HP of sole doubt

      Delete
  12. samit kallianpur1 July 2026 at 10:48

    26a is a charade of homophone + letter selection and not a full HP clue. Heard Frank (plain) = plane. Finally got = T. Plane+ T = planet (one that revolves)

    ReplyDelete
  13. R Nagendra Prasad1 July 2026 at 10:54

    Fantastic clues. My favorite ones..16a 2d 6d 15d. Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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