No 14874, Monday 17 Aug 2026, Incognito

Solution to 22A 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   Criminal Job's gathering (11) CONVOCATION {CON}{VOCATION}

9   Without males and females... (5) WOMEN {WO}{MEN}

10 Crooked thing-a piece of golfing equipment- in place for entertainment (9) NIGHTCLUB {THING*}{CLUB}

11 Creature and monk falling into woodworking equipment (10) SALAMANDER {SA{LAMA}NDER}

12 Weapons from Mars destroyed (4) ARMS*

13 Practical joke from knight in park roundabout (5) PRANK {PRA{N}K*}

15 Poor vets travel and stay overnight (4,4) STOP OVER*

17 Rose awkwardly holding dress and strings of beads for prayer (8) ROSARIES {RO{SARI}ES*}

19 Yankee following Lord is before time (5) EARLY {Y}<=>{EARL}

22 What a snake might do in barn? (4) S?E? 

23 Cleared tee by mistake? Slow down! (10) DECELERATE*

26 Author's poem is in Welsh residence (9) WODEHOUSE {W}{ODE}{HOUSE}

27 Perspired, removing pips and made mistake (5) ERRED pERspiRED

28 Learnt how I'm confused about spouse's mummy (6-2-3) MOTHER-IN-LAW*

DOWN

1   Biggles' plane, perhaps, arrived at port (5) CAMEL {CAME}{L}

2   Perhaps, Norse monk is not a cigar or cigarette user (3-6) NON-SMOKER*

3   Having title, wrongly won gin cocktail (6) OWNING*

4   Increase soldiers in month with initial threat (7) AUGMENT {AUG}{MEN}{Th...t}

5   A small quantity from Anzio tavern (4) IOTA [T]

6   African flower produced by Vernier travelling around '49 (4,5) NILE RIVER {VERNIER}* over {IL}

7   Admits, "Won wrongly by tailless cat when going back" (4,2) OWNS UP {NOW*}{PUSs<=}

8   Drug addict, perhaps, from a vehicle at Emergency Room (6) ABUSER {A}{BUS}{ER}

14 Dreamt SAM exploded in city (9) AMSTERDAM*

16 Baked food with church male is cut bit by bit (9) PIECEMEAL {PIE+CE+MALE}*

17 About female animal getting small plants once again (6) RESOWS {RE}{SOW}{S}

18 Sign and kill (7) EXECUTE [DD]

20 Returns damaged lid? Yes! (6) YIELDS*

21 Arabian, perhaps, one following enemy running away (6) YEMENI {1}<=>{ENEMY}*

24 A f-fight to get something to use with a bow (5) ARROW {A}{R-ROW}

25 Tea, I hear, followed tea in discussion (4) CHAT {(~tea)T}<=>{CHA}

Reference List

Without = WO, Knight = N, Yankee = Y, Welsh = W, Port = L, 49 = IL, Emergency Room = R, Church = CE, About = RE, Small = S