No 14455, Thursday 10 Apr 2025, Pixie Dust

Solution to 26A 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   Supreme Court, on edge with European Conspiracy (6) SCHEME {SC}{HEM}{E}

4   Spooner's old man puts money on uncollectible bills (3,5) BAD DEBTS (~dad bets to bad debts)

9   Extremely bizarre and unfinished comical model for a roundel (6) BEZANT {Bi...rE}{ZANy}{T}

10 An interesting branch of Engineering? Mechanical perhaps? (8) CHEMICAL MECHanICAL*How is AN deleted? [CA] - See comments

12 Marry without token of commitment in gathering (8) RALLYING {R{ALLY}ING}

13 Look! Ads upset city periodically (6) ASPECT {AdS+uPsEt+CiTy}

15 Sadly, aunt's here in a distressing medical condition (12) NEURASTHENIA*

18 Frequently used devious escort in negotiation (12) INTERCESSION {ESCORT+IN}* INES Anno not clear Letter Bank - See comments 

21 Tool switch is electrical partly (6) CHISEL [T]

22 Sinful - be repulsed surrounded by food (8) DEVILISH {D{LIVE<=}ISH}

24 Neat brushes for hanging locks? (8) COWLICKS {COW}{LICKS}

25 They have layers and layers in views without perceptual intelligence to begin with (6) ONIONS OpiNIONS

26 Full of oneself - must nag or rant, intrinsically stuck-up (8) A?R?G?N? (Addendum - ARROGANT [T<=] - See comments) 

27 Briefly abandoned, Pixie Dust leaves top of the church tower (6) BELFRY BRiEFLY*

DOWN

1   Carol's out of body experience, right? It's daunting (8) SOBERING {SO{B}{E}{R}{I}NG} Is an acrostic indicator missing?

2   Filbert's confusion initially labelled eccentric (8) HAZELNUT {HAZE}{La...d}{NUT}

3   My one illegal activity? (5,10) MONEY LAUNDERING {MY+ONE}* [RA]

5   Hurt a revolutionary (4) ACHE {A}{CHE}

6   Cosmetic, Denise manufactured around beginning of course in Home Economics class (8,7)  DOMESTIC SCIENCE {COSMETIC+DENISE}* over {Co...e}

7   Gallant alien's vessel (6) BUCKET {BUCK}{ET}

8   Cook welcomes liberal praise (6) SALUTE {SA{L}UTE}

11 One more article parent failed to initiate (7) ANOTHER {AN}{mOTHER}

14 Extremely thirsty associate went out for lemonade, finally rested (7) PERCHED P(-a+e)ERCHED

16 Greeting bird with love, very loudly -(established a natural connection) (3,2,3) HIT IT OFF {HI}{TIT}{O}{FF}

17 Honestly (incongruously) like a thief in the night! (2,3,3) ON THE SLY*

19 Originally, ants created a comfortable inhabitation around spiny tree (6) ACACIA Acrostic

20 Compete eagerly with Queen's witness (6) VIEWER {VIE}{W}{ER}

23 Similar to some matchmaking (4) AKIN [T]

Reference List

European = E, Model = T, Neat = COW, Alien = ET, Liberal = L, Associate = A, Loudly = F, With = W, Queen = ER