No 14577, Monday 01 Sep 2025, 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Disfigure a bishop's beetle (6) SCARAB {SCAR}{A}{B}

5   Stop and drink with journalists (8) SUPPRESS {SUP}{PRESS}

9   Established study about a prison (4-4) CAST-IRON {C{A}{STIR}ON} 

10 Picks up missing fellow and impresses (6) ETCHES fETCHES

11 Calls attention to Spooner's deception limits (10) HIGHLIGHTS (lie heights to highlights)

12 Orally mend scoundrel (4) HEEL (~heal)

13 A desire to admit early signs of love and lust from the outset (3,5) ALL ALONG {A}{L{Love}{And}{Lust}ONG}

16 What did you say? Policemen are releasing documents of notorious leaders! (6) PARDON Acrostic

17 Emphasise anxiety (6) STRESS [DD]

19 Heartless CEO last month, rejected and buried formula. Preposterous! (8) COCKEYED {CeO}{DEC<=} over {KEY}

21 Repudiate some blonde nymph (4) DENY [T]

22 Sailor devastated! Soul's basically torn in state monitored fascism (10) ABSOLUTISM {AB}{SOUL*}{Torn}{In}{St..e}{Mo...d}

25 Decent hero vacated resort (6) HONEST {HerO}{NEST}

26 Fantastic grain used repeatedly in farming? (8) AGRARIAN Letter Bank

27 Prepare extremely reasonable funeral coach (8) REHEARSE {Re...lE}{HEARSE}

28 Breathtaking piece of jewellery? (6) CHOKER [DD]

DOWN

2   A jerk cycling around old animal (5) COATI  {(+c)CATI(-c)} over {O} This word play doesn't work for cycling as A is in between

3   Gag poor thing, say (5) RETCH (~wretch) 

4   Mix or rub it in Mexican wrap (7) BURRITO*

5   Construction worker's uninitiated sad song, somehow overwhelmed Henry (7) SANDHOG {sAD+SONG}* over {H}

6   Exercise before dinner perhaps, sipping some Sangria (5-2) PRESS-UP {PRE}{Sa...a}{SUP}

7   ...and this 'Man o War' for one developed a creased horn? (9) RACEHORSE {RACEHORSE+AND}* = A CREASED HORN

8   Say Jobs ignoring boundaries, loved Loader (9) STEVEDORE {STEVE}{aDOREd}

14 Drunk, that man's very mobile - extremely agile (9) L?T?E?O?E ()

15 Can eye let out gas? (9) ACETYLENE*

18 Second serve takes time in spread (7) SCATTER {S}{CAT{T}ER}

19 Rascal wears suit in shower (7) CASCADE {CAS{CAD}E}

20 Concerned with heat? Car coil's damaged! (7) CALORIC* 

23 Chest also holds relics & souvenirs primarily (5) TORSO {TO{Re...s}{So...s}O}

24 Some beg at station's elevated platform (5) STAGE [T<=]

Reference List

Bishop = B, Drink = SUP, Study = CON, Fellow = F, Sailor = AB, Old = O, Henry = H, Second = S, Time = T