No 14890, Friday 04 Sep 2026, Pixie Dust

HAPPY  JANMASHTAMI

Artwork by Prasanna

Rangoli by Gowri

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ACROSS

7   Being very new, dropping every second fish (6) BIGEYE {BeInG+vErY+nEw}

8   Portrait's irritating without moustache essentially (8) PAINTING {PAIN{m..sTa..e}ING}

9   Performing star singer is perhaps missing a visitor (8)  STRANGER {STAR+siNGER}*

10 Extremely exotic resting place! Sweet (6) ECLAIR {Ex..iC}{LAIR}

11 Cordiality found in Guggenheim? Oh! Nobody was sent back (8) BONHOMIE [T<=]

12 Ten reportedly perished in compound (6) IODIDE {10}{(~died)DIDE)

13 Techie set the ball rolling? (5,3,3) BREAK THE ICE {TECHIE}* [RA]

18 Say Cruise with Jerry's partner making a comeback in 'The Bird' (6) MOTMOT {TOM}{TOM}<=

20 Penny leaving busy airport wearing glasses for a musical (8) ORATORIO {AIRpORT}* in {OO}

22 Some children nabbed swivelling Jack (6) BANNER [T<=]

23 Do your best backing flower business (8) INDUSTRY {TRY}<=>{INDUS}

24 Skirt around old Buddhist monastery to find power, a measure of it (8) KILOWATT {KIL{O}{WAT}T}

25 Fun for crook to take flight (6) RUNOFF*

DOWN

1   Elocution of contradictions (7) DICTION [T]

2   Found a quiet husband or perhaps it's an implied comparison (8) METAPHOR {MET}{A}{P}{H}{OR}

3   Endless border crowding weird tree (3,3) RED GUM {EDGe} in {RUM}

4   Elfin repeatedly used safety device? (8) LIFELINE {ELFIN}* [Letter Bank}

5   Stupid firm filled with traitors from the beginning (6) STOLID {S{Tr...s}OLID}

6   Star while cycling around loop puts feet up (7) UNWINDS {(-s)UN(+s)S} over {WIND}

8   Can this purist make a mess of proficient stance? (13) PERFECTIONIST {PERFECTIONIST+CAN}* = {PROFICIENT+STANCE} 

14 Being a main channel gift European currency (8)  ARTERIAL {ART}{E}{RIAL}

15 Preferring first pair of chants over old carol (8) CHOOSING {CHa..s}{O}{O}{SING}

16 Consequently tourist town in Greece becomes an independent country (7) SOMALIA {SO}{MALIA}

17 Spooner's clear displeasure for this part of the body? (7) MIDRIFF (~rid miff to midriff)

19 Car's working? Yes Man! (6) MINION {MINI}{ON}

21 They are scaled but not the first in pecking orders (6) ADDERS lADDERS

Reference List

Penny = P, Old = O, Quiet = P, Husband = H, European = E, Over = O