No 14877, Thursday 20 Aug 2026, Incognito

Solution to 28A 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

8   Legendary ship carried by Cargomaster (4) ARGO [HIPS]

9   Strips for groups of musicians (5) BANDS [DD]

10 Actor Guinness is back in Iceland (4) ALEC [T<=]

11 I left America in turmoil, producing photographic device (6) CAMERA AMERiCA*

12 Metal vehicle with saint leaving stadium (8) VANADIUM {VAN}{stADIUM}

13 Perhaps, something to break for breakfast, for example, with grand-son at Hades (8) EGGSHELL {EG}{G}{S}{HELL}

15 Mother and boy at top-class Indian metro (6) MUMBAI {MUM}{B}{A1}

17 Pirates organised beanos (7) PARTIES*

19 Support Spanish river utilisation (7) ESPOUSE {ES}{PO}{USE}

22 Wrongly harvest in absence of husband and go without food (6) STARVE hARVEST*

24 Sick! Cure and abuse? (3-5) ILL-TREAT {ILL}{TREAT}

26 Rib and beans cooked in city (8) BRISBANE*

28 Bird bearing small coins (6) C?O?N? 

30 Irritated marines dropping madmen in Indian dress (4) SARI mARIneS*

31 Aimlessly move one foot behind medico (5) DRIFT {1}{FT}<=>{DR}

32 Bird from Bangkok... It enchants! (4) KITE [T]

DOWN

1   Without distribution of notice, auctioneer dispersed chemical compound (4) UREA  AUctioneER*

2   See? Storm destroyed English county (8) SOMERSET*

3   Sailor and gunners with notes in Erode (6) ABRADE {AB}{RA}{D}{E}

4   Weakly cries, "New evil spreading in ship" (7) SNIVELS {N}{EVIL*} in {SS}

5   Harbour waves spreading a mist covering star (8) TSUNAMIS {A+MIST}* over {SUN}

6   Brown Democrat's bicycle for two (6) TANDEM {TAN}{DEM}

7   Chopper used protects country (4) PERU [T]

14 US president's allowance (5) GRANT [DD] 

16 A seat is broken. Confused? (2,3) AT SEA {A}{SEAT}*

18 Mere lads go crazy producing gemstones (8) EMERLADS*

20 Boat parts got by warlocks abandoning women and going after Oscar (8) OARLOCKS {wARLOCKS}<=>{O}

21 Student dropping pole from part of 23 in African country (7) LIBERIA {L}{sIBERIA}

23 Country formed on reconstitution of USSR, with eastern part of Asia (6) RUSSIA {USSR*}{asIA}

25 Find Line of Control at end of exercise (6) LOCATE {LOC}{AT}{e...sE}

27 Expel both characters from bathroom mistakenly and wander (4) ROAM bAthRoOM*

29 Sunrise? About time for cashews, macadamias, pecans and the like (4) NUTS {SU{T}N<=}

Reference List

Saint = ST, Grand = G, Son = S, Boy = B, Spanish = ES, Husband = H, Foot = FT, Sailor = AB, Gunners = RA(Royal Artillery), Notes = D,E, New = N, Ship = SS, Women = W, Oscar = O, Student = L, Pole = S, Line of Control = LOC,  Time = T