No 14485, Thursday 15 May 2025, Crescent

ACROSS

8   Majority of the country switching sides in shame (9) PLURALITY {(-r+l)LURAL} in {PITY}

9   Some flea preparing to jump (4) LEAP [T]

10 Simple test is mostly good base for philosophers studying knowledge (15) EPISTEMOLOGISTS {SIMPLE+TEST+IS+GOOd}* Had to cheat for this one

12 Adolescent drinking a nuisance around outdoor café (3,6) TEA GARDEN {TE{A}{DRAG<=}EN}

13 Cut to equally divide a sweet (5) HALVA {HALVe}{A}

14 Clubs, say, in environs of Paris (7) PUTTERS {Pa{UTTER}riS}

17 Custom houses withdrawing concession counter (7) RIPOSTE {RI{SOP<=}TE}

19 Customary number by comedian taking off Chaplin's original (5) NOMIC {N}{cOMIC}

21 Creature's lair old man briefly disturbed (9) ARMADILLO {LAIR+OLD+MAn}*

24 Endlessly rich king doubling gold enthralled by craven, evil route to wealth (6,5,4) YELLOW BRICK ROAD {RICh}{K} in {YELLOW}{B{OR<=}AD}

25 Key opener for India only scoring zero (4) ISLE {In..a}{SoLE}

26 Neutralizing agent shrinking stuff that is spread over hides (9) NULLIFIER {FILL<=}{IE} in {RUN<=}

DOWN

1   Small space in pantry, type designed for pots (1,6,5) A PRETTY PENNY {EN} in {PANTRY+TYPE}*

2   Cow could be cogitating (8) RUMINANT [DD]

3   Staff drawing up slogan (6) MANTRA {MAN}{ART<=}

4   Shot dead after row about money (6) FILMED {D}<=>{FIL{M}E}

5   Make up excuse, primarily fabricated, entirely without a hint of truth (8) EYELINER {Ex...s}{ENtIRELY*} 

6   Mark of identification to dispatch most important part (8) FLAGSHIP {FLAG}{SHIP}

7   Maiden I save following behind mother (6) DAMSEL {SELf}<=>{DAM}

11 Corporate members are hard pressed by bears, at first usually going short (12) SHAREHOLDERS {ARE}{H} in {SHOuLDERS}

15 Shut in, intimate in conclusion (8) ENCLOSED {EN{CLOSE}D}

16 Bar stops good friends turning violent (4-4) SLAP-BANG {BAN}{G}<=>{PALS<=}

18 Old man is cooking fish (8) SALMONID*

20 Harass sleepers close to midnight (6) MOLEST {MOLES}{m...hT}

22 Male bounding first is in the first place (6) MAINLY {MA{1}NLY}

23 Animal, little goat, child rears (3-3) DIK-DIK {KID}{KID}<=

Reference List

Number = N, King = K, Small space = EN, Dead = D, Money = M, Following = F, Hard = H, Good = G