Thursday, 12 February 2026

No 14715, Thursday 12 Feb 2026, Pixie Dust

Solution to 20D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered 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 answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS
1   Plasticine managed to protect films (6) CINEMA [T]
5   Grade repeated often, it's observed? (8) REGARDED Letter Bank
9   These drill masters go about doing tests? (8) DENTISTS {DENTISTS+GO}*=DOING TESTS [CA]
10 A new promise but not a solution (6) ANSWER {A}{N}{SWEaR}
11 Run dog in park? (10) PLAYGROUND {RUN+DOG}* [RA]
12 Prized animal caught (4) DEAR (~deer)
13 According to the Reverend, bald assistant can keep locks in place? (8) HAIRBAND (~bare hand to hairband)
16 Relative accusing stationer's missing every now and then (6) AUNTIE {AccUsiNg+sTatIonErs}
17 Brown caught sweet model escaping (6) COFFEE {C}{tOFFEE}
19 Eggs, nuts, lentils and meat perhaps delivered for adolescents (8) PROTEINS {~pro teens}
21 Politically correct leaders were overwhelmingly knowledgeable. Extraordinary! (4) WOKE Acrostic
22 Celebrity on holiday forgets about hunger (10) STARVATION {STAR}{VAcaTION}
25 Skimpy elite insiders let off (6) LITTLE {eLITe}{LET*}
26 Soon time will change feelings (8) EMOTIONS*
27 That man's describing Bill in grand captions (8) HEADINGS {HE{AD}{IN}{G}S}
28 Cuts small fruits (6) SPEARS {S}{PEARS}

DOWN
2   Guide allowed to display model (5) IDEAL [T]
3   Want to cycle around end of forest and river opening (5) ENTRY {(-y)EN(+y)Y} over {f...sT}{R}
4   Continent ignoring a large country (7) AUSTRIA AUSTRalIA
5   Dangerous seducer set free (7) RESCUED*
6   Girl managed naughty mad nana (7) GRANDMA {G}{RAN}{MAD*}
7   For a change, desire new, extremely comfortable house (9) RESIDENCE {DESIRE*}{N}{Co...lE}
8   First lady almost possessed by excitement is high (9) ELEVATION {EL{EVe}ATION}
14 Beg pardon! Associate Grace is maintaining journal (9) APOLOGISE {A}{PO{LOG}ISE}
15 Noted umpire chosen ignoring captain (9) REFLECTED {REF}{eLECTED}
18 Festival not at first Levantine (7) EASTERN {EASTER}{Not}
19 Appeals from contenders switching sides (7) PRAYERS P(-l+r)RAYERS
20 Unconcerned when a couple of Lilliputians go missing undisguised (7) O?V?O?S ()
23 Family involved in neonate birth's coming back (5) TRIBE [T<=]
24 Ultimately to somehow in the register, find titleholder (5) OWNER Tail Acrostic

Reference List
New = N, Caught = C, Model = T, About = CA, Bill = AD, Grand = G, Small = S, River = R, Girl = G, Associate = A, Sides = L,R
Posted by at
Labels: ,

27 comments:

  1. Sree Sree12 February 2026 at 08:33

    5a what is the anind?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mona Sogal12 February 2026 at 09:03

      Letter bank clues do not require an anagrind ...sometimes used to enhance the surface

      Delete
    2. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 09:09

      It is a letter bank clue. No Anind needed.

      Delete
    3. Sree Sree12 February 2026 at 10:07

      Repeated often only indicates the fodder can be obtained by repeating the given word. Without anind How is it different from a fodder(full word) without anind in anagram clues!
      There also all the words required are given.

      Delete
    4. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 10:30

      We do not even know how many times a particular letter is repeated. Then why anind?
      We are just asked to form an 8 letter word from the given letters

      Delete
    5. Sree Sree12 February 2026 at 11:07

      Where and how are we asked *to form"

      Delete
    6. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 11:29

      "Repeated often"

      Delete
    7. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 11:29

      "Repeated often"

      Delete
    8. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 12:14

      While googling for Letter bank clues, I came across this rare reverse letter bank clue-
      " Washington D.C., for example, is made up of apolitical constituents. (7)
      Solution- "Capital" from ;Apolitical'

      Delete
  2. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 09:13

    Superb CW!!! Magic wand of Pixie Dust seems to be doing better and better.
    RA was excellent, Rev. was solvable, nana was not mad at all(!) and several others were great!
    Thank you for the absorbing time you gave us this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 09:13

    1A- Film(s)- Plural needed?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Padmanabhan12 February 2026 at 09:15

    Dentists (rill masters!!!!), Proteins- great imagination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sathia12 February 2026 at 09:43

      +1. When CW is given by Pixie Dust, you can be assured of a variety of clues in one platter! RA,CA, Letter banks, spoonerism, homophone etc.,
      Thanks Mona Sogal.
      Sathia

      Delete
    2. Mona Sogal12 February 2026 at 12:15

      Thank you Padmanabhan and Sathia

      Delete
  5. Kishan12 February 2026 at 09:35

    20D OBVIOUS-undisguised; unconcerned {OBliVIOUS}, {li}lliputans} go missing

    ReplyDelete
  6. RR12 February 2026 at 10:43

    Lovely clues. Enjoyed solving. Thanks Mona Sogal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sree Sree12 February 2026 at 11:10

      +1 esp emotions, surface and cryptic merge so smoothly

      Delete
    2. Mona Sogal12 February 2026 at 12:15

      Thank you so much RR and Sree Sree

      Delete
  7. Sriku12 February 2026 at 13:34

    Really enjoyed the puzzle.. the cluing and the ah-ah moments when we parse after getting the answer(s) .. too good! Only clue I missed was 9A - when I saw the solution here could just sigh about not equating drills with dentists in my mind..

    ReplyDelete

deepakgita@gmail.com

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)