No 14635, Monday 10 Nov 2025, Pixie Dust

Solution to ??? 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   Abet an assault? (4,2) BEAT UP {ABET}* [RA]

5   Performed without a couple of fellows, basically entitled and pompous (8) AFFECTED {A{FF}{En...d}CTED}

9   Curiously never heard this sound mixer? Ha! (8) REVEREND {REVEREND+HA}*={NEVER+HEARD}  Have heard of Reverb but not Reverend?

10 About fifty one extremely curious artefacts (6) RELICS {RE}{LI}{Cu...uS}

11 Short of cash and worried about tuition expenses mainly (10) STRAITENED {STRAI{Tu...n}{Ex...s}NED}

12 Start cycling? Forget it! (4) NOPE (+n)NOPE(-n)

13 Be wrong about Auditor's girl Judith - extremely gullible (8) MISJUDGE {(~miss)MIS}{JUD}{Gu...lE}

16 Some gold-digger manipulates person from Wolfsburg (6) GERMAN [T]

17 Women and young men from Scotland ignoring date (6) LADIES LADdIES

19 As per Spooner, legendary murderer with ordinary Mac! (8) RAINCOAT (cain rote to raincoat)

21 Took mob regularly to mausoleum (4) TOMB {ToOk+MoB}

22 I do rant about being repeatedly employed in a religious ceremony? (10) ORDINATION [Letter Bank]

25 Stab every one after killing guards in public house (6) TAVERN {sTAb}{eVERy}{oNe}

26 Esoteric doctrine is somehow balsamic (8) CABALISM*

27 Fish box loses lid to reel awkwardly (8) MACKEREL {sMACK}{REEL*}

28 Display old model (6) EXPOSE {EX}{POSE}

DOWN

2   Found in seventeenth episode (5) EVENT [HIPS]

3   Greek character at the building (5) THETA*

4   Gathered son left contented around 3rd of October (7) PLEATED PLEA(-s+t)TED

5   Depression's controlled by beer and pasta (firm to the bite) (2,5) AL DENTE {AL{DENT}E}

6   Confusion about one blood-coloured decorative metal support (7) FIREDOG {F{1}{RED}OG}

7   Something related to time measurement and circle perhaps (9) CALENDRIC*

8   Doctor can help European and American with brains (9) ENCEPHALA {CAN+HELP+E}* {A}

14 From the onset Ivana noticed Adam Marsh openly riling and tormenting Albert's mistress (9) INAMORATA Acrostic

15 Bail a jerk out resulting in a shortened sentence? (9) JAILBREAK*

18 Beginning to secretly trap a contemptuous person (7) SCORNER {Se...y}{CORNER}

19 Will a CID arrive to capture revolutionary militant (7) RADICAL [T<=]

20 Endlessly low being, perhaps (7) IGNOBLE {LOw+BEING}* Semi-&lit

23 In France you have margin for bloomer (5) TULIP {TU}{LIP}

24 Shelter love warts and all! (5) O?S?S ()

Reference List

Fellow = F, About = RE, Fifty one = LI, Date = D, Old = EX, European = E, American = A, You in French = TU