No 14773, Tuesday 21 Apr 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 19D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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

1   Old cake chewed several times in a nursery rhyme! (4-1-6-3) COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO {OLD+CAKE}* [Letter Bank]

Cock a doodle doo!
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master's lost his fiddling stick
And knows not what to do.

10 Phantom and beloved leader of Freljord cycling (5) UMBRA (-bra)UM(+bra)BRA

11 Warrant for a soldier's slogan? (6,3) BATTLE CRY [CD]

12 It's absurd, cheat is stealing Knight's tape (5-2) STICK ON {ITS*}{C{K}ON}

13 Oafs fly? Suspect dismissals (7) LAYOFFS*

14 An adult insect's study of mind (5) IMAGO [DD]

16 Poor wife is hot and sickly (9) UNHEALTHY UN(-w+h)HEALTHY

19 Cryptically could I set something most murky? (9) CLOUDIEST*

20 Brand mounted without hype in the end (5) SCALD SCALeD

22 Yes! Sen ceased to smuggle substance (7) ESSENCE [T]

25 Love poem with English guide (7) OVERSEE {O}{VERSE}{E}

27 Mariner (colony resident) uncomfortable at first with return of a large spider (9) TARANTULA {TAR}{ANT}{Un...e} and {A}{L}<={

28 Contesting extremely vapoury gin cocktail (5) VYING {Va...rY}{GIN*}

29 Pi loves sex and dangerous stuff? (4,10) HIGH EXPLOSIVES {PI+LOVES+SEX}* [RA]

DOWN

2   Old boy Harry got bail and sponsorship (9) OBBLIGATO {O}{B}{GOT+BAIL}*

3   From the beginning King never appreciated Chief Kattappa's talent (5) KNACK Acrostic 

4   Bond's drone we hear is in the grips of an implant (9) DEBENTURE {DE{(~bee)BE}NTURE}

5   Outcast weasel regularly ignored characters in a number system (5) OCTAL {OutCasT+weAseL}

6   Spooner expresses surprise and lingers in lounges! (9) LOLLYGAGS (golly lags to lollygags)

7   In recess resisted beverage (5) DECAF<=

8   Heard about Indian Classical Dance's epic journey (7) ODYSSEY (~odissi)

9   Naughty smile describing basically unpalatable food (6) MUESLI {M{Un...e}SLI*}

15 Fiat, Quebec Nani drove essentially in reverse (9) ORDINANCE [T<=]

17 Controversial party game? (3,6) HOT POTATO [DD] 

18 Camouflaged terrapins come to light (9) TRANSPIRE*

19 Caught a shark, a zooming beast (7) C?E?T?H ()

21 Discover medical practitioner on line (6) DREDGE {DR}{EDGE}

23 Superb! Iago appearing in every other shoot (5) SPRIG {SuPeRb+IaGo}

24 Prepare one-liner supporting establishment at first (5) EQUIP {QUIP}<=>{Es...t}

26 To some extent clergymen voice author's concluding words (5) ENVOI [T]

Reference List

Knight = K, Wife = W, Hot = H, English = E, Large = L, Old = O, Boy = B

No 14772, Monday 20 Apr 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 6D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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

7   Bill while cycling takes in extremely coquettish style of dancing (6) TECHNO {(-no)TE(+n)NO} over {Co...sH}

8   On and off friend's watching volatile jamboree (8) FESTIVAL {FriEndS+waTchIng+VolAtiLe}

9   Complacent auditor conceals part of a bloomer (8) PLACENTA [T]

10 Oral consent to rise (6) ASCENT (~assent)

11 Send journalist back with second reinforcement (8) DESPATCH {ED<=}{S}{PATCH}

12 Stupid and pointless without basic strategy (6) INSANE {IN{St...y}ANE}

13 A pet's craft requirement (7,4) MASKING TAPE {A+PET}* [RA]

18 Rebuffed, some shoot at opinionated Murphy (6) POTATO [T<=]

20 Climax surrounding essentially stunning party for the soon-to- be union member (3,5) HEN NIGHT {HE{stuNNing}IGHT}

22 Challenge accountant raising fee (6) ACCOST {CA<=}{COST}

23 Bananas ripen over and over again to get this pungent compound (8) PIPERINE* Letterbank

24 Watched one going crazy about poetry (8) OVERSEEN {O{VERSE}EN*}

25 Reddish-yellow stain covers corner (6) RUSSET {RUS{SE}T

DOWN

1   Firmly established like a frog? (4-3) WELL-SET [DD]

2   Legume croquettes, halibut in curried kimchi, pineapple enchiladas & avocado for starters (8) CHICKPEA Acrostic

3   Is this composition creating tensions? (6) SONNET [CA] {SONNET+IS}* = TENSIONS

4   Surprisingly it's easy to film Spain's top writer (8) ESSAYIST {ITS+EASY}* over {Sp..n}

5   Tailless sick cur exploited! Is it fair? (6) CIRCUS {SICk+CUR}*

6   Notice fly hovering around a nurse (7) ?A?N?N? (Addendum - WARNING {W{A}{RN}ING} - See comments)

8   Spooner's gurgling in the cooler is short- lived? (5,2,3,3) FLASH IN THE PAN (plash in the fan to flash in the pan)

14 Barking kitten or is it more complicated? (8) KNOTTIER* What's the role of 'is it'?

15 Every often Port Izmir toasted this yellow flower (8) PRIMROSE {PoRt+IzMiR+tOaStEd}

16 Depressed libertarian leader is expelled from congress (7) CONCAVE CONClAVE

17 Clap to a large extent with understanding (7) THUNDER [T]

19 In a foreign land, rook moves behind on a ship (6) ABOARD AB(-r)OA(+r)RD

21 New copy line for household linen (6) NAPERY {N}{APE}{RY}

Reference List

Journalist = ED, Second = S, Corner = SE(South East), Nurse = RN(Registered Nurse), Rook = R, New = N, Copy = APE, Line = RY(Railway)