No 14387, Tuesday 21 Jan 2025, Pixie Dust

Solution to 13A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Starry like pathway and I passed out! (6) ASTRAL {AS}{TRAiL}

5   Cheeky rascal with dimple captured Sue's heart (8) IMPUDENT {IMP}{sUe}{DENT}

9   Imperfect parable camouflaging weak reflex (8) FALLIBLE {FA{ILL<=}BLE}

10 Name some store now, nearby (6) RENOWN [T]

11 Move back north to protect large prickly shrub (10) BLACKTHORN {BACK+NORTH}* over {L}

12 Tailless animal's spirit (4) ELAN ELANd

13 Accomplished nerd harassed and frequently picked on (8) ?E?D?R?D (Addendum - RENDERED {NERD}* LetterBank - See comments)

16 Expert blasted ton right away (6) PRONTO {PRO}{TON*} 

17 Protocol for late comers in British University's elevated den on return (6) BURIAL {B}{U}{LAIR<=} Elevated in an Across clue? See comments

19 Exceed half a dozen deliveries with favourites making a comeback (8) OVERSTEP {OVER}{PETS<=}

21 Spooner's regular gal? (4) LADY (~daily to lady)

22 This derisive system of thought! It upset visiting team (10) NEGATIVISM {NEGATIVISM+IT}*={VISITING TEAM} [CA]

25 Merely illusory reflection alluringly generating expectations to begin with (6) MIRAGE Acrostic Semi&lit

26 Working perversely, European country gives up gold crown for a radioactive material (8) NOBELIUM {ON<=}{BELgIUM}

27 Say, Lewinsky nearly caught revolutionary chaps' prompting aid? (8) MNEMONIC {M{MEN<=}ONICa}

28 Strangely not beginning to see right, I get extremely lonely (6) EERILY {sEE}{R}{I}{Lo..lY}

DOWN

2   Loafer's small fix (5) SNAIL {S}{NAIL}

3   Democracy ignores local survival (5) RELIC REpubLIC

4   Endless myths about cooking 'Best Seafood' (7) LOBSTER {LO{BEST*}Re}

5   Island's church could be heartlessly freezing (3-4) ICE-COLD {I}{CE}{COuLD}

6   Mean to cut vegetable (7) PARSNIP {PAR}{SNIP}

7   Uncontrolled son argued! Menacing (9) DANGEROUS*

8   How cleats can be used to get to city? (9) NEWCASTLE* (Correction - {CLEATS}* [RA] - See comments)

14 Editor's caution about schooling (9) EDUCATION {ED}{CAUTION*}

15 Mr. Friday went around a reconstructed creamery (5,4) DAIRY FARM {MR+FRIDAY]* over {A}

18 Next, around noon get lunch essentially light (7) LANTERN {LA{N}TER}{luNch}

19 Natural oranges to start with, bananas, grain and a bit of chocolate (7) ORGANIC {Or...s}{GRAIN*}{Ch...e}

20 Each counter's wholesome (7) EATABLE {EA}{TABLE}

23 Nastier to go over endlessly in retrospect (5) VILER RELIVe<=

24 Stall UK symposium exhibiting inverted brainbox (5) SKULL [T<=]

Reference List

Large = L, British = B, University = U, Right = R, Small = S, Island = I, Church = CE, Mean = PAR, Noon = N, Each = EA