No 14716, Friday 13 Feb 2026, Pixie Dust

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

All those who are not regular commenters but who are rookie commenters or silent followers of the blog are requested to post answers with annotations in the comments section. In your own interest please avoid looking up the answers from the interactive version. Don't hesitate to post your annotations, in case you make a mistake in the annotation someone will correct it with the right annotation.

PLEASE NOTE, SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ATTEMPTING THE ANNOTATIONS WILL BE DELETED

Each commenter is requested to post only 5 answers thereby giving others also a chance to participate. Please provide all your answers in one comment.

Regular solvers/Veterans can post 1 answer each, but after 11 AM only.

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

ACROSS

7   Middle letters from birdbrains I'd eliminate (6) INSIDE [T]

8   Returning last minute, accepting present? It's fine (8) ETHEREAL {LATE<=} over {HERE}

9   Rated settlement? (8) TRADEOFF {RATED}* [RA]

10 Lewd flier cycling around a liberal (6) RIBALD {(+d)DBIR(-d)<=} over {A}{L} Around on double duty?

11 So, this state broadcast rubs police? (8) REPUBLIC {REPUBLIC+SO}*=RUBS POLICE [CA]

12 Maxim and Carol circling a yard (6) SAYING {S{A}{Y}ING}

13 Beyond doubt, I register popular name at first (11) INDUBITABLE {I}{TABLE}<={IN}{DUB}

18 Every now and then they answer to China (3,3) TEA SET {ThEy+AnSwEr+To}

20 Assist old boyfriend with exercise and fluid diet (8) EXPEDITE {EX}{PE}{DIET*}

22 Steer clear of unlimited mess, aches? Eww! (6) ESCHEW{mESs}{aCHEs}{eWw}

23 Keep pace with components in vintage Qualis engines (8) EQUALISE [T]

24 Skin inflammations from contaminated buns and pots (8) SUNBURNS {BUNS*}{URNS}

25 Rodents returned in house I vacated (6) CAVIES [T<=]

DOWN

1   Hide! Harsh breathing sound's smothering king Lear at first (7) SNORKEL {SNOR{K}E}{Lear} Snorkel/Hide?

2   Catch daughter with boy? Can lead to this irritating condition (8) WINDBURN {WIN}{D}{B}{URN}

3   Move back from extremely repulsive snake (6) RECOIL {Re...vE}{COIL}

4   Is parent over maid's allure? (8) CHARISMA {IS}{MA}<=>{CHAR}

5   German massage, extremely bawdy and seedy (6) GRUBBY {G}{RUB}{BawdY}

6   Sailor brought up bar's ladder (7) RATLINE {TAR<=}{LINE}

8   Evict fans, exploited repeatedly for success? Use unconventional festive fences (13) EFFECTIVENESS*

14 Chewed up raw donut? Unfortunate (8) UNTOWARD*

15 Lovely ad about honey (8) LADYLOVE*

16 Spooner exclaims: "Look at waste matter in nourishing food!" (3,4) PEA SOUP (~ see poop to pea soup)

17 Stores scarves without original tags (7) STASHES {S{Tags}ASHES}

19 Persons of authority in New Delhi basically swaggering and haughty, intolerant, bossy, supercilious (6) SAHIBS Acrostic

21 Bob covering head, follows Prince in attack (6) POUNCE {bOUNCE}<=>{P}

Reference List

Yard = Y, Old boyfriend = EX, Exercise = PE, King = K, Daughter = D, Boy = B, German = G, Prince = P

No 14715, Thursday 12 Feb 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 20D 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   Plasticine managed to protect films (6) CINEMA [T]

5   Grade repeated often, it's observed? (8) REGARDED Letter Bank

9   These drill masters go about doing tests? (8) DENTISTS {DENTISTS+GO}*=DOING TESTS [CA]

10 A new promise but not a solution (6) ANSWER {A}{N}{SWEaR}

11 Run dog in park? (10) PLAYGROUND {RUN+DOG}* [RA]

12 Prized animal caught (4) DEAR (~deer)

13 According to the Reverend, bald assistant can keep locks in place? (8) HAIRBAND (~bare hand to hairband)

16 Relative accusing stationer's missing every now and then (6) AUNTIE {AccUsiNg+sTatIonErs}

17 Brown caught sweet model escaping (6) COFFEE {C}{tOFFEE}

19 Eggs, nuts, lentils and meat perhaps delivered for adolescents (8) PROTEINS {~pro teens}

21 Politically correct leaders were overwhelmingly knowledgeable. Extraordinary! (4) WOKE Acrostic

22 Celebrity on holiday forgets about hunger (10) STARVATION {STAR}{VAcaTION}

25 Skimpy elite insiders let off (6) LITTLE {eLITe}{LET*}

26 Soon time will change feelings (8) EMOTIONS*

27 That man's describing Bill in grand captions (8) HEADINGS {HE{AD}{IN}{G}S}

28 Cuts small fruits (6) SPEARS {S}{PEARS}

DOWN

2   Guide allowed to display model (5) IDEAL [T]

3   Want to cycle around end of forest and river opening (5) ENTRY {(-y)EN(+y)Y} over {f...sT}{R}

4   Continent ignoring a large country (7) AUSTRIA AUSTRalIA

5   Dangerous seducer set free (7) RESCUED*

6   Girl managed naughty mad nana (7) GRANDMA {G}{RAN}{MAD*}

7   For a change, desire new, extremely comfortable house (9) RESIDENCE {DESIRE*}{N}{Co...lE}

8   First lady almost possessed by excitement is high (9) ELEVATION {EL{EVe}ATION}

14 Beg pardon! Associate Grace is maintaining journal (9) APOLOGISE {A}{PO{LOG}ISE}

15 Noted umpire chosen ignoring captain (9) REFLECTED {REF}{eLECTED}

18 Festival not at first Levantine (7) EASTERN {EASTER}{Not}

19 Appeals from contenders switching sides (7) PRAYERS P(-l+r)RAYERS

20 Unconcerned when a couple of Lilliputians go missing undisguised (7) O?V?O?S (Addendum - OBVIOUS OBliVIOUS - See comments)

23 Family involved in neonate birth's coming back (5) TRIBE [T<=]

24 Ultimately to somehow in the register, find titleholder (5) OWNER Tail Acrostic

Reference List

New = N, Caught = C, Model = T, About = CA, Bill = AD, Grand = G, Small = S, River = R, Girl = G, Associate = A, Sides = L,R