No 14891, Saturday 05 Sep 2026, Pixie Dust

HAPPY TEACHERS DAY TO ALL THE TEACHERS HERE

Artwork by Prasanna

 ACROSS

7 Extremely corrupt amateur (egghead) agent missing now and then (6) AUGEAN (amAteUr+eGghEad+AgeNt}
8 Forego pals? Not so casually in child's play (8) LEAPFROG {FOREGo PALs}*

9 Topped stretching in workout (8) TRAINING {sTRAINING} 
10 Exiled man in Germany refused entry to begin with (6) EMIGRE [Acrostic] Semi & Lit
11 Doubt dead legends? (4,4) COLD FEET {COLD}{FEET} Legend=End of leg=foot
12 Dismiss wriggling of a fly (3-3) LAY-OFF*
13 Ya! Count over and over in book-keeping? (11) ACCOUNTANCY {YA COUNT}*[Letter Bank] 

18 A Republican member of parliament has appeal in sweater? (6) ARMPIT {A}{R}{MP}{IT}
20 Gasp! I ran towards hiding suitor (8) ASPIRANT [T]
22 Elitist returns first class miniature plant (6) BONSAI {SNOB<}{AI}

23 Formless, trendy confectionery? No, pass! (8) INCHOATE {IN}{CHOcolATE}
24 Rich Neapolitan Sauce from one of New York's Five Families (8) GENOVESE [DD]
25 A grave tribute? (6) EULOGY [CD]

DOWN
1 Runner's back around end of June with Professor's reward (7) GUERDON {R{junE}UG<}{DON}
2 Once in a while, every idiotic criminal losing it perhaps (8) PERIODIC {PER}{iDIOtIC*}
3 Live? So soon! Will I win debate finally (6) ONLINE [Tail Acrostic]
4 Animal upset about bloomer (8) CAMELLIA {CAMEL}{AIL<}

5 Some enjoy GIF featuring revolutionary figure (6) EFFIGY [T<]

6 Bluff about extremely feisty char (7) TORREFY {TOR}{RE}{FeistY}
8 Kindling Spooner's conflict with a story-teller? (8,1,4) LIGHTING A FIRE Spoonerism of     FIGHTING A LIAR
14 Devil came through? (8) OUTLIVED {DEVIL*}[RA]
15 Doh! These ride sharing arrangements made a mess of a school drop? (3,5) CAR POOLS {CAR POOLS+DOH}*= A SCHOOL DROP
16 Impudent when cycling around upright, humble cavalryman (7) TROOPER {(+T)TPER(-t)} around {POOR<} Pert is impudent and PERT cycling is TPER. Humble=Poor. A lost P is unaccounted for.
16 Impudent when cycling around upright, humble, masked cavalryman (7) TROOPER {(+T)TPER(-t)} around {pOOR<} Clue modified by Pixie Dust

17 To some extent buffoons tag equilibrists in view of the audience (7) ONSTAGE [T]
19 Handgun's part of a blossom, we hear (6) PISTOL {~PISTIL}
21 Spot alien's bag (6) POCKET {POCK}{ET}

Reference List

Republican=R, Member of parliament=MP, (Sex) Appeal=it, First Class=A1=AI, About=Re, Alien=ET (Extra-Terristrial).

No 14890, Friday 04 Sep 2026, Pixie Dust

HAPPY  JANMASHTAMI

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

Thanks for the response, here's the regular blog.

ACROSS

7   Being very new, dropping every second fish (6) BIGEYE {BeInG+vErY+nEw}

8   Portrait's irritating without moustache essentially (8) PAINTING {PAIN{m..sTa..e}ING}

9   Performing star singer is perhaps missing a visitor (8)  STRANGER {STAR+siNGER}*

10 Extremely exotic resting place! Sweet (6) ECLAIR {Ex..iC}{LAIR}

11 Cordiality found in Guggenheim? Oh! Nobody was sent back (8) BONHOMIE [T<=]

12 Ten reportedly perished in compound (6) IODIDE {10}{(~died)DIDE)

13 Techie set the ball rolling? (5,3,3) BREAK THE ICE {TECHIE}* [RA]

18 Say Cruise with Jerry's partner making a comeback in 'The Bird' (6) MOTMOT {TOM}{TOM}<=

20 Penny leaving busy airport wearing glasses for a musical (8) ORATORIO {AIRpORT}* in {OO}

22 Some children nabbed swivelling Jack (6) BANNER [T<=]

23 Do your best backing flower business (8) INDUSTRY {TRY}<=>{INDUS}

24 Skirt around old Buddhist monastery to find power, a measure of it (8) KILOWATT {KIL{O}{WAT}T}

25 Fun for crook to take flight (6) RUNOFF*

DOWN

1   Elocution of contradictions (7) DICTION [T]

2   Found a quiet husband or perhaps it's an implied comparison (8) METAPHOR {MET}{A}{P}{H}{OR}

3   Endless border crowding weird tree (3,3) RED GUM {EDGe} in {RUM}

4   Elfin repeatedly used safety device? (8) LIFELINE {ELFIN}* [Letter Bank}

5   Stupid firm filled with traitors from the beginning (6) STOLID {S{Tr...s}OLID}

6   Star while cycling around loop puts feet up (7) UNWINDS {(-s)UN(+s)S} over {WIND}

8   Can this purist make a mess of proficient stance? (13) PERFECTIONIST {PERFECTIONIST+CAN}* = {PROFICIENT+STANCE} 

14 Being a main channel gift European currency (8)  ARTERIAL {ART}{E}{RIAL}

15 Preferring first pair of chants over old carol (8) CHOOSING {CHa..s}{O}{O}{SING}

16 Consequently tourist town in Greece becomes an independent country (7) SOMALIA {SO}{MALIA}

17 Spooner's clear displeasure for this part of the body? (7) MIDRIFF (~rid miff to midriff)

19 Car's working? Yes Man! (6) MINION {MINI}{ON}

21 They are scaled but not the first in pecking orders (6) ADDERS lADDERS

Reference List

Penny = P, Old = O, Quiet = P, Husband = H, European = E, Over = O