No 14873, Saturday 15 Aug 2026, KrisKross

                                                   Happy Independence Day

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

ACROSS 

1 Not on time... gets missed by the audience (8) OFFSTAGE {OFF}{STAGE}
5 Under pressure, judge acted badly, losing head (6) JAMMED {J}{hAMMED}
9 Slippery end of rink — falling every so often, called for vehicle (8) TRICYCLE {TRICkY}{CaLlEd}

10 Farewells in America break down you and me (6) ADIEUS {A}{DIE}{US}
12 I get a note: "Fantastic bargain!" (9) NEGOTIATE*
13 Determined to follow old scent (5) ODOUR DOUR<=>O
14 Spots uneven roads, ultimately rough (4) RASH {RoAdS}{rougH}
16 Sausages from small joints, reportedly (7) WIENIES (~WEE KNEES)
19 Refuse to accept "Anyway, it's fate!" (7) DESTINY {DENY} around {IT'S*}
21 Picked up dress accessory from Asia (4) THAI {~TIE}
24 Storage device basically containing digital recordings of music (2-3) CD-ROM [Acrostic]
25 Contracting a boy on a horse to tour Germany (9) ABRIDGING {A}{B}{RID{G}ING}
27 Heavyweight group without work building muscle (6) TONING {TON}{wING}
28 Spooner says "Save American sculptor — she is critical!" (8) LINCHPIN Spoonerism of PINCH LIN
29 Slanders brands winning millions (5) SMEARS {S{M}EARS}
30 Like a fox eating English fruit in a calm manner (6) SEDATELY {S{E}{DATE}LY}

DOWN
1 Carbon that oddly is included in a component of petrol (6) OCTANE {C}{ThAt} in ONE
2 Daughter crushed by grief breaking down, becoming cooler (6) FRIDGE {D} in {GRIEF*}
3 Go with sweetheart on vacation for a rendezvous (5) TRYST {TRY}{SweethearT}
4 Giant dog in corner rising up (7) GOLIATH  {TAIL<} in {HOG<}
6 Moving drama — one involving Dutch stars (9) ANDROMEDA {DRAMA ONE}* around D

7 Electronic device having new sign about boosting memory (8) MNEMONIC {MIC}around {N+OMEN}<
8 Sorrow as lover spends money for diamonds (8) DISTRESS (-m+D)DISTRESS
11 Catcall from back of courtroom upset trial! (4) MEOW {courtrooM}{WOE<}
15 Part of Turkey — an old country surrounded by soldiers (4,5) ASIA MINOR {A}{SIAM}{IN}{OR} surrounded by=in
17 Teaches upwardly mobile date about old gold coin (8) EDUCATES {SEE<} around {DUCAT}
18 Members in contest ran, getting split up (8) ESTRANGE [T]
20 You hadn't regularly lost money in Shanghai (4) YUAN {YoU hAdNt}

21 Wrong to stuff fork in meat dish (7) TERRINE {ERR} in {TINE}

22 Easy test with "India" as answer (6) SIMPLE {S(-a+I)IMPLE}
23 A hundred years to gather knowledge for department (6) AGENCY {A}{GEN}{C}{Y}
26 In Stalingrad, a charming cottage (5) DACHA [T]

REFERENCE LIST

Judge=J, America=A, Old=O, Boy=B, Germany=G, Work=W, Millions=M, English=E, Carbon=C, Daughter=D, Dutch=D, New=N, Money=M, Diamonds=D, Soldiers=OR, India=I, Answer=A, Hundred=C, Years=Y.