No 14610, Friday 10 Oct 2025, Pixie Dust

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ACROSS

1   Masters among top-grade PT students (6) ADEPTS [T]

5   Hunt a boa writhing in federal highway (8) AUTOBAHN*

9   Reported Bolt's small examination (8) SCRUTINY {(~screw)SCRU}{TINY}

10 Also heard handle's double layered (3-3) TWO-PLY {(~too)TWO}{PLY}

11 Spot extremely elegant model enjoy country bazaar (6,4) MARKET TOWN {MARK}{El...nT}{T}{OWN}

12 Is this period upsetting a deist? (4) DATE {DATE+IS}={A DEIST} [CA]

13 Pixie Dust rejected scheme primarily eliminating empowered worker (8) EMPLOYEE {ME<=}{PLOY}{El...g}{Em...d}

16 Swear about love in passage (6) COURSE {C{O}URSE}

17 Dads for tots? (4,2) ADDS-UP {DADS}* [RA]

19 Criminal repeatedly abets a field trial? (4,4) BETA TEST {ABETS}* [Letter bank]

21 To a large extent skin defines class (4) KIND [T]

22 Heard European misrepresentation about Nationalist goal (6,4) FINISH LINE {(~finnish)FINISH}{LI{N}E}

25 Still jerks are cycling around? Thank you! (6) STATIC {(+s)STIC(-s)} over {TA}

26 Mr.India say, from the beginning sports handkerchief, kurta and scarf (8) BABUSHKA {BABU}{Sp...s}{Ha...f}{Ku..a}{And}

27 Conventional doctor announced discounts (8) ORTHODOX {ORTHO}{(~docks)DOX}

28 Element of speed is onerous around the end of match (2-4) NO-SIDE [T<=]

DOWN

2   District Attorney gets tea in a Russian cottage (5) DACHA {DA}{CHA}

3   Pull out nerve (5) PLUCK [DD]

4   Ultimately unscrupulous fellow Swami, cutoff grant - rebel immediately without losing time (7) SWIFTLY Tail Acrostic

5   Presently a city fighting Rome (7) ANYMORE {A}{NY}{ROME}*

6  Herculean Tim, Taj & Nick scratching bottoms (7) TTITANIC {TIm}{TAj}{NICk}

7   Perhaps, incest's a barbarity? (9) BLOODLUST {BLOOD LUST} 

8   I endlessly loathe terrible sibling! Bad-Mouth? (9) HALITOSIS {I+LOATHe}*{SIS}

14 Brewed weird mint for this season (9) MIDWINTER*

15 Desperate attempt to get rid of rocky salt on top (4-5) LAST-DITCH {DITCH}<=>{SALT}*

18 Humourless Petty Officer's basically fearless and accomplished (2-5) PO-FACED {PO}{Fe...s}{ACED}

19 Gang spar for holder of headgears (7) BANDBOX {BAND}{BOX}

20 Reverend suggests finest whip for a restrictive treaty? (4,3) TEST BAN (best tan to test ban)

23 Core of Melissa Watson's inventories (5) LISTS {meLISsa}{watSons}

24 Bare Nawabs kneeled every now and then (5) NAKED {NawAbs+KneEleD}

Reference List

Model = T, Nationalist = N, Thank you = TA, Tea = CHA, Petty Officer= PO