No 14803, Tuesday 26 May 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 17D 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  Spooner exclaims:"I fall flat for lady!" (6) FEMALE (~me fail to female)

8   Legendary skill? (8) FOOTWORK [CD]

9   What's behind sacrifice? Fatherhood - laying aside past forever! (8) ETERNITY {s...cE}{paTERNITY} PA/Past?

10 Honey producers controlling half a dozen groups (6) BEVIES {BE{VI}ES}

11 Saurashtra's captain, fast bowler's an astronaut (8) SPACEMAN {Sa...a}{PACEMAN}

12 Factor in Archetypal Lord's ashen hue (6) PALLOR [T]

13 A net is used several times in murder? (11) ASSASSINATE {A+NET+IS}* [Letter Bank]

18 Snake swallowed sandwiches, bit of liver and pieces of ears and arms (6) HALDEA {HA{Li..r}D}{Ears}{Arms}

20 Global organisation to drawback? Unfortunate! (8) UNTOWARD {UN}{TO}{DRAW<=}

22 That is Sue's wrapping paper (6) TISSUE [T]

23 Angelic Emma pays Riemann from time to time (8) EMPYREAN {EmMa+PaYs+RiRmAnN}

24 Off guard, Doctor Anu swears, endlessly (8) UNAWARES {ANU+SWEARs}*

25 William for one, cycling around trendy framework (6) LINTEL {(+l)LTEL(-l)} over {IN}

DOWN

1   So, Pat's egocentricity to some extent kept back secret police (7) GESTAPO [T<=]

2   Disallow stands in camps (8) BARRACKS {BAR}{RACKS} Camp would be more of a temporary nature unlike Barracks

3   Close to retirement, mean master escaped monotony (6) TEDIUM {r...nT}{mEDIUM}

4   Cop and Private Investigator with new fix for locks (5,3) BOBBY PIN {BOBBY}{PI}{N}

5   Desperate wives beginning to love swinging around (6) SWIVEL {WIVES}*{Love} Swing or Swinging?

6   Can this impunity hurt Modern Cafe? (7) FREEDOM {FREEDOM+CAN}*=MODERN CAFE [CA]

8   UFOs scare us? (6,7) FLYING SAUCERS {SCARE+US}* [RA]

14 Dilettantes Raman, Stew & Bursa scratching heads and bottoms (8) AMATEURS {rAMAn}{sTEw}{bURSa}

15 Tall model unpaid without embarrassment and remorse at first (8) TOWERING {T}{OW{Em...t}{Re...e}ING}

16 Invalid is not complaining (7) PATIENT [DD]

17 Tumbler acknowledging king's wave (7) ?R?A?E?  (Addendum - BREAKER {B{R}EAKER} - See comments)  

19 Insult criminal now and repudiate (6) DISOWN {DIS}{NOW*}

21 Take in drink for starters - throw-up in party, perhaps losing equilibrium (6) TIPPLE Acrostic

Reference List

Trendy = IN, Master = M, Private Investigator = PI, New = N, Model = T, King = R, Insult = DIS

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