No 14802, Monday 25 May 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 1A 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   Just qualify brave Joseph from time to time (6) ?F?E?H (Addendum - AFRESH {quAliFy+bRavE+joSepH} - See comments)

5   Millions notice conduit around Universal Psychopathic Hospital (8) MADHOUSE {M}{AD}{HO{U}SE}

9   Is this state of stupor possibly a crisis, son? (8) NARCOSIS {NARCOSIS+IS}*=A CRISIS SON [CA]

10 Bird panting briefly (6) PUFFIN PUFFINg

11 Can pet when repeatedly used find recognition? (10) ACCEPTANCE {CAN+PET}* [Letter Bank]

12 Work is restricted by that man's ambition (4) HOPE {H{OP}E}

13 Forcefully edited story about Naira, (girl on vacation) (8) STRONGLY {STORY}* over {N}{GirL}

16 Observed criminal is deep (6) ESPIED*

17 From the beginning government rejected allotment to independent suppliers for free (6) GRATIS Acrostic

19 Rowdy sipping hot tea, say and beginning to spout opinions (8) THOUGHTS {T{H}OUGH}{(~tea)T}{Sp..t}

21 Leader in Myanmar (as televised) backtracking (4) TSAR [T<=]

22 Indiscriminately eat mince pie endlessly in frustration (10) IMPATIENCE  {EAT+MINCE+PIe}*

25 Fraud alert when time is right (3,3) RIP OFF (-t+r)RIP OFF

26 Impractical Fellow (8) ACADEMIC [DD]

27 Encounters meekest lions (Gasp!) every now and then (8) MEETINGS {MeEkEsT+lIoNs+GaSp}

28 Torn piece hanging loose from post at terminal (6) TATTER [T]

DOWN

2   Currency is unrestricted as per auditor (5) FRANC (~frank)

3   Pixie Dust's upset with extremely contemptible European host (5) EMCEE {ME<=}{Co...lE}{E}

4   #Henry's terribly aghast! (7) HASHTAG {H}{AGHAST*} 

5   Queen of England getting hold of boy's handiwork (7) MASONRY {MA{SON}RY}

6   Bankrupt? Cancel entertaining Penny (7) DEPLETE {DE{P}LETE}

7   Ready-made for one who has stopped drinking? (3-3-3) OFF-THE-PEG [DD]

8   Most inadequate, I kiss temp awkwardly (9) SKIMPIEST*

14 Trust Neil building a mechanical gate (9) TURNSTILE*

15 Hardy cycling around more haphazardly, furthest from the center (9) OUTERMOST {(-st)OUT(+st)ST} over {MORE}*

18 Small argument and workers lost head in set (7) STIFFEN {S}{TIFF}{mEN}

19 Spooner says, " Skip tasteless articles for formal headwear!" (3,4) TOP HATS (~hop tats to top hats)

20 Banished cats? (7) OUTCAST {CATS}* [RA]

23 Deny right away and deport (5) EJECT rEJECT

24 Crossing borders of America illegally is felony (5) CRIME aMERICa* Semi&lit

Reference List

Millions = M, Notice = AD, Universal = U, Naira = N, Hot = H, Time = T, Right = R, European = E, Henry = H, Penny = P, Small = S

The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 57, Sunday 24 May 2026, Incognito

Three answers per commenter till 4 PM (Annotations compulsory) 

Please submit all your answers in one comment.  

(COMMENTS ENTERED WITH LESS THAN THREE ANSWERS/ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE, UNLESS THE COMMENTER SPECIFIES THAT IT IS A COMPENSATION FOR A REPEAT)

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

ACROSS

1   Friend confirms as true and talks (8) PALAVERS {PAL}{AVERS}

5   Churchman tense, perhaps, taking gold (6) PASTOR {PAST}{OR}

10 Eva is chaperoned to some extent (5) PERON [HIPS]

11 Toy Papa put down before nightshift (9) PLAYTHING {P}{LAY}{NIGHT*}

12 Poetry collection includes old names (6) SONNET {S{O}{N}{N}ET}

13 Legendary land at end of tunnel is giving shelter to soldier (8) ATLANTIS {AT}{t...eL}{IS} over {ANT}

15 President's joke about sex appeal backfired (5) PUTIN {PU{IT<=}N}

17 Equine sounds by boy, our next door resident (9) NEIGHBOUR {NEIGH}{B}{OUR}

19 Something said to wish luck to an actor, but perhaps not to a dancer (5,1,3) BREAK A LEG [CD]

20 Lowest point for king (5) NADIR [DD]

21 Mom's diet can be bold (8) IMMODEST*

23 Cutting loafs and putting in a bit of fresh variety meats (6) OFFALS {OF{Fr..h}ALS*}

27 Making speed, consumes gin cocktail around 10 (9) HASTENING {HAS}{GIN*} over {TEN}

28 Afterwards, large rat having energy jumped (5) LATER {L}{RAT+E}*

29 Most coy literary moneylender loses security device near estate (6) SHYEST {SHYlock}{EST}

30 Right drain remodelled by Ohio physicist at first to get a bit of liquid precipitation? (8) RAINDROP {R}{DRAIN*}{Ohio}{Ph...t}

DOWN

1   Things Sherlock Holmes had used by plumbers (5) PIPES [DD]

2   Gentler to adjust eyeglasses (9) LORGNETTE* 

3   VP's vehicle is in front of church (5) VANCE {VAN}{CE}

4   Some peri-peri peppers may be ready to eat (4) RIPE [T]

6   Confusing a star, Khan produces lambskin with curled wool (9) ASTRAKHAN {A+STAR}*{KHAN}

7   What Oliver may do with someone's arm? (5) TWIST [C&DD]

8   Hospital employee? May be a government officer... (9) REGISTRAR [DD]

9   Separate long and narrow elevation for bird (9) PARTRIDGE {PART}{RIDGE}

14 A client is strangely rigid (9) INELASTIC*

15 Proclaims: "Bar that lady in large part of isle" (9) PUBLISHES {PUB}{L}{I{SHE}Sle}

16 Sends Ken a design showing nudity (9) NAKEDNESS*

18 Skilled painter of yore turned almost red (3,6) OLD MASTER*

22 Cluttered eating place at yard (5) MESSY {MESS}{Y}

24 Fighter joins Musk to manufacture Su-57 for NATO (5) FELON {F}{ELON}

25 Belt parts recycled (5) STRAP*

26 Alcoholics Anonymous covers Greek city (4) AGRA {A{GR}A}

Reference List

Gold = OR, Papa = P, Old = O, Name = N, Boy = B, Large = L, Energy = E, Right = R, Church = CE, Yard = Y, Fighter = F