Friday, 30 October 2026

No 14936, Friday 30 Oct 2026, Dr. X

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY
All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

ACROSS
1   Screams hysterically about a murder (8)
5   Associate works out after gaining weight every time (6)
10 Cavort with European after consuming cocaine (5)
11 Marshal protects a witness (9)
12 Crazy men entering a dangerous Indian city (9)
13 US-Canada defence org. destroyed a drone leaving base (5)
14 Rubbish heap outside fine flat at entrance (6)
15 Recital at opening with medley of flutes is soothing (7)
18 One way or another, escort entertains old male on vacation (7)
20 Former US president's overture to Epstein in tabloid article (6)
22 Starts to holler about vile oppressor causing mayhem (5)
24 The best thing on menu - our rolls (6,3)
25 One captivated by perfect maiden (9)
26 Nervous novice lacks confidence, primarily sheepish (5)
27 Robust model eating special pork meatloaf (6)
28 Come to rest after hosting large shindig at centre from dusk till dawn (3-5)

DOWN
1   Monsieur's wife is nuts about me (6)
2   Fantastic singers receiving close to twenty million for working together (9)
3   Where paunchy person's belt buckle might be better than average (5,2,3,5)
4   Upset about blood relation being ridiculous (7)
6   Start to dance in the raw, loosen up! (3,4,4,4)
7   Concerning some daft errors (5)
8   Sit astride seat, holding sides of tusker (8)
9   Ogle after drinking whiskey on date, becoming more lascivious (6)
16 Presenting extremely fine American code-breaker (9)
17 Like a small hotel acquired by firm (2,6)
19 Improvise with cleverness to enthral stylish girl (4,2)
20 Modify social media clip about member's retro party (7)
21 Secret desire to have a little romp (6)
23 Repairs anatomical vessel to save military policeman (5)

31 comments:

  1. 1A, Massacre= a murder(Def.)
    screams+(A, about)
    hysterically is anagram indicator
    A is inserted in screams,
    (massacre)*

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1A - MASSACRE - Murder; {screams +a}* anagrid- hysterically
    1D - MADAME - Monsieur’s wife; nuts - mad; about - a; me = madame

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 24A - NUMERO UNO - The best thing; {on menu our}* anagrid - rolls

      Delete
    2. 26A - OVINE - “sheep” ish; {NOVICE - C}; anagrid - nervous;
      C is from - Primarily (C)onfidence

      Delete
    3. 22A - HAVOC - Mayhem; starting letters of H…r A…t V…e O…r C…g

      Delete
    4. In lieu of 1A
      3D - AHEAD OF THE CURVE - better than average; could be where paunchy person’s belt buckle ends?

      Delete
  3. 4D, Risible=being ridiculous(Def.)
    Ri(sib)le
    sib=blood relation, rile = to make someone upset
    Upset about blood relation is inserting sib in rile.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 7D, after= concerning(Def.)
    Concerning some dAFT ERrors
    T

    ReplyDelete
  5. 10A, Dance=cavort(Def.)
    Dan(c)e
    Dane is European, C is cocaine

    ReplyDelete
  6. 18A, Somehow=one way or another(Def.)
    entertains means show,
    old male on vacation is o, ME(male on vacation)
    Rearranging, show+ome= somehow

    ReplyDelete
  7. 16D FEATURING = presenting {FE, extremely FinE, +A, American + TURING, Alan Turing, code breaker}

    ReplyDelete
  8. 2d. SYNERGISM. - Working together
    (SINGERS)*
    Y - Close to twenty
    M - Million
    (S+Y+N+ER+G+I+S)*M

    16d. FEATURING. - Presenting
    FE. - Extremely FinE
    A. - American
    TURING. - Code-breaker

    19d. WING IT. - Improvise
    WIT. - Cleverness
    IN - Stylish
    G - Girl
    (W+IN+G+IT)
    Enthral - insert Ind for IN & G

    ReplyDelete
  9. ILO 16d.
    8d. STRADDLE. - Sut astride
    SADDLE. - Seat
    TR. - Sides of TuskeR
    Holding. - Contain ind

    ReplyDelete
  10. 5 A
    Every time = ALWAYS
    Associate = A
    Works out = LAYS
    Gaining = Contalner ind
    Weight = W
    A L( W ) AYS = ALWAYS

    ReplyDelete
  11. 11 A
    Witness = SPECTATOR
    A = A
    Marshal = Anind
    ( Protects A) * = SPECTATOR

    ReplyDelete
  12. 13 A
    US Canada defense org = NORAD
    ( North America Aerospace Defence org )
    A = A
    Destroyed = Anind
    Base = E
    Leaving = Deletion ind
    ( A DRONE - E ) * = ( A DRON ) * = NORAD

    ReplyDelete
  13. 15 A
    Soothing = RESTFUL
    Opening = 1st letter selector ind
    Recital = R
    Medley = Anind
    ( Flutes ) * = ESTFUL
    R ESTFUL = RESTFUL

    ReplyDelete
  14. 11.ac. Spectator. 'protects a' is anagram. Marshal is anagram indicator.
    15.ac.Restful. R( recital at the opening) + flutes. and rearranging the letters.
    22.ac.Havoc. H(oller) + A(bout) + V(ile) + O(ppressor) +C(ausing).
    9.dn.Lewder. Leer (ogle) + w( whiskey) .And rearranging the letters.
    16.dn.Featuring. Fe( extremely fine) + A(merican) + turing ( code breaker =Alan Turing)

    ReplyDelete
  15. 28 A
    From dusk to dawn = ALL NIGHT
    Come to rest = ALIGHT
    Hosting = Container ind
    Large = L
    At center / centre = Mid letter selector ind
    Shindig = shi N dig
    AL (L N ) IGHT = ALL NIGHT

    ReplyDelete
  16. 6D LET ONES HAIR DOWN = loosen up
    (d + in the raw loosen )*
    d from start to dance

    ReplyDelete
  17. 9D (LE(W)(D)ER) = lascivious
    ogle = leer
    Whiskey = w
    date = d

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please also explain how WD get in the middle- indicator for that.

      Delete
    2. Thanks
      "drinking " is containment indicator
      leer is drinking w and d

      Delete
  18. 27A (HA(S)LE)T= pork meatloaf
    robust = hale
    model = t
    eating is cont ind
    special = s

    ReplyDelete
  19. 14 A - Piffle
    def: Rubbish

    Pi {f f} le
    Heap outside: Pile
    'f'ine 'f'lat at entrance - ff

    ReplyDelete
  20. 20 D - Remodel
    def: modify

    Re {M}{od} el

    Social media clip: Reel
    member : M
    retro party : "Do" -> od

    ReplyDelete
  21. 21 D - Covert
    def: secret

    Cove{r}t

    desire : covet
    with a little romp - insert 'r'

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com