No 14870, Wednesday 12 Aug 2026, Arden

Solution to 26A 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   Fools stay home, he takes them out (8) ASSASSIN {ASS}{ASS}{IN}

5   Even America is all gas (6) FLATUS {FLAT}{US}

10 Organic material around here in the centre is bone (7) HUMERUS {HUM{hERe}US}

middle — could also be a starter (7) RAVIOLI {dRAVId}{sOLId}

12 Woman or man in the opera (5) NORMA [T]

13 Downturn with fish diminishing (9) DWINDLING {D}{WIND}{LING}

14 "Press 4", most of them say (6,6) FOURTH ESTATE {FOUR}{THEm}{STATE}

18 Chester Allen cooked mushrooms (12) CHANTERELLES*

21 It may follow Bobby on duty (6,3) POLICE DOG {DOG}<=>{POLICE} Semi&lit

23 Change by shuffling at the top in the future (5) ALTER (L<=>A}ALTER

24 Tear off layer of mud (7) EARTHEN {TEAR*}{HEN}

25 Do second language from first grade (7) SHINDIG {S}{HINDI}{Gr..e}

26 Ring in place, digging out the odd bits (6) S?G?E?  (Addendum - SIGNET {S{dIgGiNg}ET} - See comments)

27 It receives a call for help like by day's end showing geological balance (8) ISOSTASY {I{SOS}T}{AS}{daY}

DOWN

1   Since then, invested the capital (6) ATHENS {A{THEN}S}

2   Doctor punctures boil, it's serious (6) SOMBRE {SO{MB}RE}

3   Go through and through the tap — it's open (6,3) SPREAD OUT {SP{READ}OUT}

4   Home team call to cover shoot up is illegal (7,7) INSIDER TRADING {IN}{SIDE}{R{DART<=}ING}

6   Place 4 in sealed cover and cross (5) LIVID {L{IV}ID}

7   Left uprising — Indian state is hot and humid (8) TROPICAL {PORT<=}{I}{CAL}

8   Rash with ones hard to go through (8) SHINGLES {S{H}INGLES}

9   Gold and tin brought up by lifts — keeping record of those who study birds (14) ORNITHOLOGISTS {OR}{TIN<=}{HO{LOG}ISTS}

15 Plots scores in a random fashion (9) SCENARIOS*

16 Drains for meals eaten cold (8) SCUPPERS {S{C}UPPERS}

17 Cow to crow about accomplice (8) BALLYRAG {B{ALLY}RAG}

19 Somehow assimilated but miles away from grounds (6) STADIA ASsImilATsD*

20 Scream over a horse that's ragged (6) CRAGGY {CR{A}{GG}Y}

22 Fish for business turn over (5) COHOE {CO}{HOE}

Reference List

Home = IN, Down = D, Second = S, Doctor = MB, Indian = I, Hard = H, Cold = C, Horse = GG, Business = CO