No 14945, Wednesday 11 Nov 2026, Pixie Dust

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

7   Bit of torn slip leads to panic (6) TERROR {Torn}{ERROR}

8   Does this rigged deal upset Poet Judo's Pub? (3-2,3) PUT-UP JOB {PUT UP JOB+DOES}*=POET+JUDOS+PUB [CA]

9   One key? (8) CARDINAL [DD]

10 Section of Noble Antony's outhouse (4-2) LEAN-TO [T]

11 Say 25 sheets describing early signs of a General Manager's predicament (8) QUAGMIRE {QU{A}{Ge...l}{Ma...r}}IRE}

12 A teen behind every other Roman Epic? (6) AENEID {A+tEeN+bEhInD}

13 Option via net? (11) ALTERNATIVE {VIA+NET}* Letter Bank

18 Fabricate greasepaint (4-2) MAKE-UP [DD]

20 Witness (butler) led by old bishop (8) OBSERVER {SERVER}<=>{O}{B}

22 Evil spirit consuming Rector's soulmate (6) FRIEND {F{R}IEND}

23 Ancient history about the sly one in flood (8) O?E?F?O? 

24 Begad! Get rye sandwiches! Works? (8) GADGETRY [T]

25 Some nickname citizens circulating for thief (6) ICEMAN [T<=]

DOWN

1   Control extremely ambiguous American spyware (7) PEGASUS {PEG}{Am...uS}{US}

2   Reckless champ like Pacino, for one (8) PRODIGAL {PRO}{DIG}{AL}

3   Urbanite mysteriously losing a Tesla in country (6) BRUNEI URBaNItE*

4   Dependable celebrity going around breaking law, finally caught (8) STALWART {ST{LAW*}AR}{c...hT}

5   Hurt after model left of capital of Portugal in anxiety (6) SPRAIN {S(-t+p)PRAIN}

6   Buffalo! I cannot accommodate (7) CONTAIN*

8   Openly tag repeatedly to find Friend Geller's interest? (13) PALAENTOLOGY {OPENLY+TAG}* Letter Bank

14 Hurry! Shortly reject horrible diet (8) EXPEDITE {EXPEl}{DIET*}

15 Truly curt, I fire criminal checker (8) VERIFIER {VERy}{I+FIRE}* 

16 The Reverend asks for Pixie in part of golf course? (7) FAIRWAY (~where fay to fairway)

17 Female adores fancy headwear (7) FEDORAS {F}{ADORES}*

19 Come out and enjoy moonlit evenings, romantic, gloriously enchanting to begin with (6) EMERGE Acrostic Semi&lit

21 Bet that is small change (6) SPECIE {SPEC}{IE}

Reference List

Old = O, Bishop = B, Rector = R, Model = T, Female = F, Bet = SPEC

No 14944, Tuesday 10 Nov 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 14D 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   Some bishop at hospital? Tragedy (6) PATHOS [T]

8   True! This footwear binder damages a Hercules toe? (8) SHOELACE {SHOELACE+TRUE}*=A HERCULES TOE [CA]

9   Finally 'Club XXIII India ' in Dehradun, Bengaluru, Agra call for an event occurring twice in a year (8) BIANNUAL Tail acrostic

10 Country delivered oil (6) GREECE (~grease)

11 Tailor had cross-braided rope (4,4) SASH-CORD*

12 Frankly Oscar (writer) liberal and young-at-heart from the beginning (6) OPENLY {O}{PEN}{L}{Yo...t}

13 How sprites become experts? (4,7)  HIGH PRIESTS {SPRITES}* [RA]

18 Picked up sluggish weapon for war cry (6) SLOGAN (~slow gun)

20 City mess bizarrely is widely prevalent (8) SYSTEMIC*

22 Atrocious cycling around Spooner reversing suddenly, say (6) ADVERB {(-b)AD(+b)B} over {REV<=}

23 Pixie Dust is putting on an act in August (8) IMPOSING {I'M}{POSING}

24 Wake up call? (8) BIRDSONG [CD]

25 To a great extent Girish Sir goes around like a monster (6) OGRISH [T<=]

DOWN

1   Discovered image, nice, calm and fascinating (7) MAGICAL {iMAGe}{nICe}{cALm}

2   Capture large city (8) SHANGHAI [DD]

3   Early glimpses of exclusive silver coin used during olden-times (6) ESCUDO Acrostic Semi-&lit

4   Bloomer! It looks like a dog, Mitt! (8) FOXGLOVE {FOX}{GLOVE}

5   Rob filmed Emcees periodically (6) FLEECE {FiLmEd+EmCeEs}

6   Diamonds could heartlessly become frosty (3-4) ICE-COLD {ICE}{COuLD}

8   Glad, resin is frequently used in sauce? (5,8) SALAD DRESSING {GLAD+RESIN}* Letter Bank 

14 Spooner's gang to catch guide? (8) H?N?B?O? (Addendum HANDBOOK (~band hook to handbook) - Se comments)

15 Unfortunately rusty era for the bank (8) TREASURY*

16 Fictional hero! A boy close to Princess- basically naive (7) ALADDIN {A}{LAD}{DI}{Na..e}

17 See Red going around Thailand on ship (7) WITNESS {WI{T}NE}{SS}

19 Girl's frail and ravenous (6) GREEDY {G}{REEDY}

21 Drain components of useless iPhone (6) SIPHON [T]

Reference List

Oscar = O, Liberal = L, Diamond = ICE, Princess = DI, Red = WINE, Thailand = T, Ship = SS, Girl = G