No 14926, Saturday 17 October 2026, Arden

Artwork by Prasanna

 ACROSS

1 Building cool shelter — it's in one's blood (11) CHOLESTEROL*
7 Swindle exposed a country (3) GYP {eGYPt}
9 Reportedly stops marriage announcement (5) BANNS {~BANS}
10 Movie about an animal and plant (9) CELANDINE {C{ELAND}INE}

11 Bemoaning a fish-eating catkin (9) LAMENTING {L{AMENT}ING}
12 Bitter about free electricity to start with (5) ACRID {RID}<=>{AC}
13 Secure houses for worker in American city (5,2) SANTA FE {S{ANT}AFE}
15 Carry a shortened pole (4) TOTE {TOTEm}
18 A visitor loses way — gets fever (4) AGUE {A}{GUEst}
20 Uncovered intelligent plan for a busybody (7) MARPLOT {sMARt}{PLOT}
23 Party around bar (5) REVEL<
24 Attack a cricket side and mock in a way (9) ONSLAUGHT {ON}{S{LAUGH}T}
26 Kept woman to figure about copper container (9) CONCUBINE {CON{CU}{BIN}E}
27 Praise openly with some coffee (5) LATTE {fLATTEr}
28 She will turn into a litigant (3) SUE [DD]
29 Use starched pants for historic holy wars (3,8) THE CRUSADES*

DOWN
1 Taxi schedule to pick up a follower of tradition (8) CABALIST {CAB}{A}{LIST}
2 Special mention takes time before it is spread to give relief (8) OINTMENT {MENTION*}{T}
3 City contracts let border guards go (5) ESSEN {lESSENs}
4 Do wear a hat, it's tangible (7) TACTILE T{ACT}ILE
5 Stoke the girl artfully (7) RELIGHT*
6 Learn about players invited into the old house (9) LANCASTER {LEARN*} around CAST

7 Complaint about sex — there's blood all over (6) GOITRE {GO{IT}RE}
8 Pretended to work without a fee — rejected (6) PSEUDO {OP}< around {DUES<}

14 Criminal dealt with guns, also drug (5,4) ANGEL DUST*
16 Disrupted sunshine in the garden (8) BLIGHTED {B{LIGHT}ED}
17 Way one speaks haltingly (8) STUTTERS {ST}{UTTERS}
19 Hard rubber, close to ankle bone it is inserted (7) EBONITE {anklE}{BON{IT}E}
20 Feel sad about carrying bundle of rubber (7) MASSEUR {RUE<}<=>{MASS}
21 Briefly cross over copper plant (6) CROCUS {CRO{CU}Ss}

22 Way to identify a location (6) AVENUE {A}{VENUE}
25 An old sailor brought up the map (5) ATLAS {A}{SALT<}

REFERENCE LIST

Electricity=AC (alternating current), Way=St (Street), Cricket Side=On, Copper=Cu, Time=T, Sex (appeal)=It, Work=Op.