No 14638, Thursday 13 Nov 2025, Arden

Solution to 1A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Storing cotton in the bar basement (6) P?I?T? (Addendum - PLINTH {P{LINT}H} - See comments)

4   Right in the contre of good French resort (8) BRIGHTON {B{RIGHT}ON} CONTRE appears to be a typo for CENTRE

9   Minion heading west with almighty friend (6) LAPDOG {GOD}{PAL}<=

10 Manage to include everyone - one is the Goddess of music (8) CALLIOPE {C{ALL}{1}OPE}

12 Man withstood wild old beast (8) MASTODON {MAN+STOOD}*

13 Set aside some money, including private banks (6) REPEAL {RE{Pr...tE}AL}

15 None can go faster than this brand of men's swimwear and escape (5,2,5) SPEED OF LIGHT {SPEEDO}{FLIGHT}

18 Play the host, party, and the hours carry on (2,3,7) DO THE HONOURS {DO}{THE}{H{ON}OURS}

21 Book publisher's covers framed Frost (6) PRIMER {Pu...{RIME}...eR}

22 Composer's mad shrew, wallowing in drink (8) GERSHWIN {G{SHREW*}IN}

24 Jailhouse for fliers (8) CANARIES [DD] ( Correction - {CAN}{ARIES} - See comments)

25 Part of New York gets regular patrols in the border (6) HARLEM {H{pAtRoLs}EM}

26 Chat counter (8) CONVERSE [DD]

27 Severe problems - indicates extreme life-threatening condition (6) SEPSIS {Se...rE}{Pr...mS}{In...eS}

DOWN

1   European film on a professional writer (8) POLEMIST {POLE}{MIST}

2   Self introduction of Bill, the conman (8) IMPOSTER {I'M}{POSTER}

3   Also, change route and go to bed - difficult to believe? (3,4,2,2,4) TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE {TOO}{ROUTE+GO+TO+BED}*

5   Grating no good for horse (4) ROAN gROAN

6   Long-handed bats rattle - get out with a bonus (6,9) GOLDEN HANDSHAKE {LONG+HANDED}*{SHAKE}

7   Wipe around top rim with a tool (6) TROWEL {T{Rim}OWEL}

8   Enlightened action, nothing to provoke (6) NEEDLE EnLightENED*

11 Scrubs the toilet, starts with flush and hand shower (7) LOOFAHS {LOO}{Fl..h}{And}{Hand}{Sh...r}

14 Fellow draws out first blood on the ship (7) LIGHTER bLIGHTER

16 Comfortable about English law on uprising in parts of the ship (8) GUNWALES {S{E}{LAW}NUG}<=

17 Natural calamities suit man's fancy (8) TSUNAMIS*

19 Shifting ice-cap makes one throw up (6) IPECAC*

20 You'll find it in wood lining, perhaps (6) LIGNIN*

23 Income's sufficient for feeding people here (4) MESS [T]

Reference List

Bar = PH, Good in French = BON, Party = DO, Good = G, Toilet = LOO, English = E

No 14637, Wednesday 12 Nov 2025, Crossant

Welcome to our new setter CROSSANT. Bouquets and Brickbats welcome.

Solution to 22D 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

6   Boy initially refused to have toast (5) BROWN {B}{Re...d}{OWN}

7   No afterthought perhaps about getting a listening device (8) EARPHONE {PERHAps}*{ONE}

10 Stay in America, invest outside (7) SUSPEND {S{US}PEND}

11 Imagine Queen perhaps jamming, performing live (7) BELIEVE {BE{LIVE*}E}

12 What supervisors do about some trainees revolting (7) OVERSEE [T<=]

13 English women crowding section near church entrance (7) BEWITCH {B{E}{W}IT}{CH}

14 The way a criminal behaves in "Don" - stylish, essentially great acting (11) DISHONESTLY {DON+STYLISH+grEat}*

19 Story about victory - yes, saving a tree (4,3) LIVE OAK {LI{V}E}{O{A}K}

21 Make the negatives visible to bring out potential (7) DEVELOP [C&DD]

23 Songs and dances stopped by angry devotees initially (7) BALLADS {BALL{An..y}{De...s}S}

25 Repair shop again? (7) RESTORE {RE}{STORE}

26 This one thinks cold beer's bad. Odd. (8) CEREBRUM {C}{BEER}*{RUM}

27 Tubby's not been seen regularly (5) OBESE {nOt+BeEn+SeEn}

DOWN

1   God, he has drunk a large amount of alcohol (8) HOGSHEAD*

2   Sent back hostel night-watchmen guarding entrances (6) INLETS [T<=]

3   Embroidery that is done by an acupuncturist? (10) NEEDLEWORK [DD]

4   Good, clean food (4) GRUB {G}{RUB}

5   One new group for cricket perhaps (6) INSECT {1}{N}{SECT}

6   Give Cream of Wheat to begin with (6) BESTOW {BEST}{Of}{Wh..t}

8   Fool waving white flag endlessly (4-3)  HALF-WIT {WHITe+FLAg}*

9   Husband seen in eatery in city (5) DELHI {DEL{H}I}

13 A small fragment of food could provide a clue (10) BREADCRUMB [C&DD] 

15 Time to keep gold in warehouse (7) STORAGE {ST{OR}AGE}

16 Cry aloud getting more depressed, more sickly-looking (8) YELLOWER {(~yell)YEL}{LOWER}

17 Bail one out with this? (5) ALIBI {BAIL+1}* Semi&lit

18 Set openers of Sunrisers playing at this point (6) SPHERE {Su...s}{Pl...g}{HERE}

20 So, without right detaining everyone in Kashmir perhaps (6) VALLEY {V{ALL}ErY}

22 Perception: Not in favour of plan (6) V?S?O? (Addendum - VISION proVISION - See comments)

24 Certainly, he argues back regularly (4) SURE {hE+aRgUeS}<=

Reference List

Boy = B, Afterthought = PS, Queen perhaps = BEE, English = E, Women = W, Church = CH, Victory = V, Again = RE, Cold = C, Good = G, New = N, Husband = H, Right = R