No 14834, Wednesday 01 Jul 2026, Gridzilla

Solution to 23A 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   They need to be taught a lesson about failure (6) PUPILS SLIP-UP<=

4   One's c-cross to bear? (6) AFFORD {A}{F-FORD}

8   One street goes around Italian city (7) TRIESTE {1+STREET}*

9   Man! With this braggart, I get most annoyed (7) EGOTIST {EGOTIST+M}*=I+GET+MOST [CA]

11 Estimation of a tax shown to the auditor (10) ASSESSMENT (~ a cess meant)

12 Go to lake and strip (4) PEEL {PEE}{L}

13 Husband is excitedly eating American dish (5) SUSHI {H+IS}* over {US}

14 OMG! It's a new change, designed to reduce pollution (8) ANTISMOG {OMG+ITS+A+N}*

16 A dashing personality? (8) SPRINTER [CD]

18 Sailing east, around Australia (2,3) AT SEA {EAST}*{A}

20 Nitwit knocked back rum bottles only (4) DODO {ODD<=} over {O}

21 According to Spooner, many excelled in swimming event (10) BACKSTROKE (~stack broke to backstroke)

23 One suspect reportedly gets betrayed (4,3) ?O?D ?U? (Addendum - SOLD OUT (~sole doubt to sold out) - See comments)

24 Reason one can't travel abroad to Germany, or a city in Serbia? (4,3) NOVI SAD {NO VISA}{D}

25 Part of cliff or a fjord receding in the distance (3,3) FAR OFF [T]

26 Heard Frank finally got a revolver (6) PLANET {(~plain)PLANE}{goT} Incorrect homophone See comments

DOWN

1   First to finish remaining prunes? (5) PARES (-s)PARE(+s)S

2   Wants to guide chaps playing soccer primarily (7) PREFERS {Pl...g}{REFER}{So...r}

3   That's life, working for a 2 pm -10 pm job perhaps (4,5) LATE SHIFT*

5   Fellow takes time out in tough contest (5) FIGHT {F}{tIGHT}

6   Commanding officer turned up to discharge one of the marines? (7) OCTOPUS {CO<=}{TO}{PUS}

7   Dame, one who's murdered ultimately in play? (9) DESDEMONA {DAME+ONE+whoS+m...eD}* &lit

10 Amateur gets inspired by fantastic career in a team sport (5,4) RELAY RACE {LAY} in {CAREER}*

13 Gradually steal in shop? (6,3) SIPHON OFF {IN+SHOP}* [RA]

15 Brown can on the counter has a bit of dill and mushroom (9) TOADSTOOL {TOA{Dill}ST}{LOO<=}

17 Sample from skin or dermis is ok (2,5) IN ORDER [T]

19 European dancing in bar - extremely seductive (7) SERBIAN {IN+BAR+Se...vE}*

21 Downright lie! (5) BLUFF [DD]

22 Snake kept rattling and intimidated trespassers at the outset (5) KRAIT Acrostic

Reference List

Man = M, Lake = L, New = N, Australia = A, Only = O, Germany = D, Fellow = F, Can = LOO 

No 14833, Tuesday 30 Jun 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 6D 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

7   Protagonist nicked addictive substance (6) HEROIN {HEROINe}

8   To begin with wonderful, obviously original display - warm, opulently rich Kashmiri-style carpentry (8) WOODWORK Acrostic

9   Bill breaking free of compulsive behaviours and expressions (8) DICTIONS adDICTIONS

10 Declares: "Pixie Dust dividing shell money!" (6) CLAIMS {CLA{I}MS}

11 Fictional miser losing love for a French bum (8) SCROUNGE SCRO(-o+un)UNGE

12 To a certain extent felt sensually repelled in snuggle (6) NESTLE [T<=]

13 The 'MACS' repeatedly played tournaments? (4,7) TEST MATCHES {THE+MACS}* Letter Bank

18 Fictional detective's biographer, as per reports questioned boy (6) WATSON (~what son)

20 Vision I quote in conversation (8) EYESIGHT {I}{(~cite)SIGHT}

22 Some misread her enchantment for Bond (6) ADHERE [T]

23 Can this masquerader redesign a crimson top? (8) IMPOSTOR {IMPOSTOR+CAN}*=A CRIMSON TOP [CA]

24 Authentic, clear garlic soup without traces of olives and parsley (8) SURGICAL {GARLIC+SoUp}*

25 Blue-collar worker from Colombo will binge every now and then (6) COOLIE {ColOmbO+wiLl+bIngE}

DOWN

1   Spooner says: "The rest and I talk behind their back entrance!" (7) BEWITCH (~we bitch to bewitch)

2   Open spot? Perhaps take a rain check! (8) POSTPONE*

3   Native of Banjarmasin, Borneo (6) INBORN [T]

4   Stuck-up Dominic in a clover, exposed and dangerous (8) VOLCANIC [T<=]

5   Hits outside net essentially and panics (6) SWEATS {SW{nEt}ATS}

6   Member cycling around strange black object (7) ?R?M?L? (Addendum - GRUMBLE {(+g)GLE(-g)} over {RUM}{B} - See comments)

8   Let Maria refuse! (5,8) WASTE MATERIAL {MARIA+LET}* [RA]

14 Drive nurse to Easthampton on vacation with Charlie Yen (8) TENDENCY {TEND}{Ea...oN}{C}{Y}

15 Release young girl endlessly overwhelmed by mounting racket (8) EMISSION {MISs} in {NOISE<=}

16 Honesty from John Grim (7) CANDOUR {CAN}{DOUR}

17 Deranged gossip about Oscar I see in texting (7) CHAOTIC {CHA{O}T}{I}{(~see)C}

19 Delivered butcher's toboggan (6) SLEIGH (~slay)

21 Imagine master having no right adopting canine (6) EXPECT EXPE(-r+c)CT

Reference List

Bill = AD, A in French = UN, Strange = RUM, Black = B, Charlie = C, Yen = Y, John = CAN, Oscar = O, Right = R, Canine = C