Friday, 21 August 2026

No 14878, Friday 21 Aug 2026, Afterdark

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PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

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ACROSS
9   Serving hot tray to Husky (7)
10 Breaks in as a theologian above talks without substance (7)
11 Cutback on left axis, try with new figure (7)
12 Discover a new depth inside and primarily look for a fish (4,3)
13 Worker seen with nurse at a leading lobotomist before birth (9)
15 Till last three characters return, it will be dark (5)
16 Platelayer in Central Railway, takes a new name after conversion (7)
19 Improved employees in Enforcement Directorate executed heartlessly (7)
20 Free at gunpoint, untied, got out (5)
21 Rural area in two states (2-7)
25 Relative from the father's side is acting outside a building (7)
26 Ultimately got wife to come to ball and advance to dance (3-4)
28 Leh party in which Regina went after Victor serving French port (2,5)
29 Revive used pair daughter discarded, with reconstruction (7)

DOWN
1   Ideal place is Andaman & Nicobar perhaps with work at mainland frequently (6)
2   Jewellery concealed in the farm letterbox (6)
3   Husband and short girl put to death (4)
4   Young swan in captivity gutted, good catch (6)
5   Break up? Settle after husband finally shares inholdings in the suburbs (8)
6   Mostly vans are out to get redesigned with a new style of decoration (3,7)
7   Requested to include toll in copy before first despatch (8)
8   Isobel's broke, 50% lost, behind schedule, deserted and ostracized (8)
14 I've backed Tom in a neutral arrangement to be appointed to office (10)
16 Sterling gold stored initially in locked dogwood can (8)
17 The writer spiralled after new drug as a remedy for grief (8)
18 Aunts circle around church elders primarily in dances (8)
22 Drawback after CT caught a cord (6)
23 Beginning to dress (ignoring recipe) potato (6)
24 Youth leader at institute starting to prepare to go and express elation (6)
27 Essentially programme belongs to us (4)

51 comments:

  1. 3D - HANG - Put to death; H(usband) + AN(d)+ G(irl)
    2D - ARMLET - jewellery; fARM LETter; telescopic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 29A - UPRAISE - Revive; USED-D + PAIR = {USEPAIR}* anagrid - reconstruction

      Delete
    2. 6D - ART NOUVEAU - New style of decoration - {VANS - S + ARE + OUT} + U(letter bank); anagrid -redesigned

      Delete
    3. 1D - UTOPIA - Ideal place; Andaman & Nicobar perhaps - Union Territory - UT; work - OP; maInlAnd frequently - I and A

      Delete
  2. 9A, Throaty=husky(def.)
    (hot tray*)
    Serving is Anagram indicator

    ReplyDelete
  3. 8d isolated --ostracized from ISObel 50% behind schedule- LATE and D from desolated

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. 8 D
      Ostracized = ISOLATED
      50 % lost of Isobel = ISOBEL - EL = ISO
      Behind schedule = LATE
      Deserted = Letters deletion ind. from " and " = and - an = D
      ISO LAYE D = ISOLATED

      Delete
  5. 15A, Unlit=dark(def)
    Till synonym is until, last three characters return means Until(unLIT)
    Unlit

    ReplyDelete
  6. 11 A
    Figure = POLYGON
    Cut ( back ) = LOP ( <= ) = POL
    Left Axis = Y
    Try = GO
    New = N
    POL Y GO N = POLYGON

    ReplyDelete
  7. 12 A
    Fish = SAND EEL
    Discover = SEE
    A =A
    New = N
    Depth = D
    Inside = Container ind.
    Primarily = 1st letter selector ind.for "look " = L
    S ( A N D )EE L = SAND EEL

    ReplyDelete
  8. 2237 D
    Belongs to us = OURS
    Programme = COURSE
    Essentially = container ind. for COURSE = c OURS e = OURS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IMHO, this is unfair.

      Essentially programme, could be a 6/8/10/12/14 letter word.
      Too many permutations and combinations unless we know the answer.
      Usually in charade, the length of synonym is fixed.

      Delete
  9. 28A, Le Harve=French Port(def)
    leh+avre
    Leh , taken from clue and party Rave
    Regina (R) went after Victor (V) serving means Rave becomes AVRE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. French port = LE HAVRE
      Leh = LEH
      Party = RAVE
      Regina = R
      Victor = V
      Went after = Change of place for R after V in " RAVE ) = AVRE
      LEH RAVE = LE H AVRE = LE HAVRE

      Delete
  10. 26 A. Two -step= to dance (def.)
    Ultimately got means (t), wife (w) to come to ball (o), and advance(step)
    so, t+w+o++ step=.Two-step

    ReplyDelete
  11. 13 A
    Before birth = ANTENATAL
    Worker = ANT
    Nurse = EN
    At a = AT A
    Leading = 1st letter selecter ind. for " lobomist "= L
    ANT EN AT A L = ANTENATAL

    ReplyDelete
  12. 19 D
    Improved = EMENDED
    Employees = MEN
    In = Container ind.
    Enforcement Directorate = ED
    Heartlessly = 1st and last letter selector ind. for " executed " = ED
    E ( MEN ) D ED = EMENDED

    ReplyDelete
  13. 14D, Nominative= appointed to office(def.)
    I've (Evi), Tom (mot) +in a+ neutral (n)
    By rearranging, we get
    (evitominan)*
    Nominative

    ReplyDelete
  14. 17D NEPENTHE = remedy for grief { N, new and E drug , THE , author PEN spiralled}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 17 D
      New = N
      Drug = E
      The = THE
      Writer = PEN
      After = indicator for having other letters after NE
      N E PEN THE = NEPENTHE

      Delete
    2. 17 D
      New = N
      Drug = E
      The = THE
      Writer = PEN
      After = indicator for having other letters after NE
      N E PEN THE = NEPENTHE

      Delete
    3. How did "the" come in the end.

      Delete
  15. 16a LINEMAN=platelayer
    rai(L)way, a=(I), (N)ew
    (name)* after conversion EMAN
    20 UNPIN=free
    gUNPoINt (--got)
    25a AGNATIC =relative from father's side
    (ACTING)* over=A)

    ReplyDelete
  16. 24d (Y)(I)(P)(PEE) - express elation
    Youth leader - Y
    at institute starting - I
    to prepare - P
    to go - PEE

    ReplyDelete
  17. 16A- How does a Lineman become a plate layer? What plate?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Connected with Railways?
    Lineman is usually electrical or connected with sports

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A platelayer (also historically called a lineman in British usage) is a railway worker who lays, inspects, and repairs the permanent rail tracks. The term lineman in this context refers to maintaining the line of the track rather than electrical wires

      Delete
  19. Thus is obviously connected with sleeper plates. Wish there was some indication

    ReplyDelete
  20. 22d. CATGUT. - Cord
    C+A+T+GUT
    Caught - Insert Ind for A in CT
    GUT - Tug (Draw) reversed per Back

    ReplyDelete
  21. 18D:(aunts)* circle around church(ch) elders primarily(e)
    naut(ch)(e)s
    nautches=dances

    ReplyDelete

  22. 4D Young swan in captivity gutted, good catch (6)
    CYGNET - young swan
    {c(-aptivit)y}{g}{net}

    ReplyDelete
  23. 7 dn appealed -requested.
    Toll-peal copy-aped ap(peal)ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pl relook the annotation. You have not used all the words given in the clue.

      Delete
    2. 7 D
      Requested = APPEALED
      Toll = PEAL
      Copy = APE
      To include = container ind.
      First = 1st letter selector ind. for " despatch " = D
      AP ( PEAL ) E D = APPEALED

      Delete
    3. @chandrasekaran
      Only 5 per commentor!
      You can suggest correction needed but not give out full solution pls.

      Delete
  24. 5D: break up ? = dissolve
    Settle is solve
    Husband finally is d
    Shares I (inholdings) s (suburbs)
    Hence,
    ((D)(is)(solve))
    Sathia

    ReplyDelete
  25. 21 A up country=rural area ; two states i e UP and country

    ReplyDelete
  26. 16d =laudable=sterling. primarily locked dogwood= l , d. au=gold, can=able

    ReplyDelete
  27. 23d =tattie=potato. Beginning of to= t, dress= attire-r (ignore recipe)=attie ; t+attie

    ReplyDelete
  28. 2.dn.Armlet. (f)arm + let(terbox).
    6.dn.Art Nouveau. Mostly Vans = Van + are + out + (t)o. And rearranging the letters.
    7.dn.Appealed. toll=peal + ape (copy) + d(first despatch).And rearranging the letters
    8.dn.Isolated. Iso (bel) (50% lost)+late(behind schedule)+ d(eserted).
    15.ac.Unlit. till= until. Last 3 letters ie til returned.= lit

    ReplyDelete

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