No 14891, Saturday 05 Sep 2026, Pixie Dust

HAPPY TEACHERS DAY TO ALL THE TEACHERS HERE

Artwork by Prasanna

 ACROSS

7 Extremely corrupt amateur (egghead) agent missing now and then (6) AUGEAN (amAteUr+eGghEad+AgeNt}
8 Forego pals? Not so casually in child's play (8) LEAPFROG {FOREGo PALs}*

9 Topped stretching in workout (8) TRAINING {sTRAINING} 
10 Exiled man in Germany refused entry to begin with (6) EMIGRE [Acrostic] Semi & Lit
11 Doubt dead legends? (4,4) COLD FEET {COLD}{FEET} Legend=End of leg=foot
12 Dismiss wriggling of a fly (3-3) LAY-OFF*
13 Ya! Count over and over in book-keeping? (11) ACCOUNTANCY {YA COUNT}*[Letter Bank] 

18 A Republican member of parliament has appeal in sweater? (6) ARMPIT {A}{R}{MP}{IT}
20 Gasp! I ran towards hiding suitor (8) ASPIRANT [T]
22 Elitist returns first class miniature plant (6) BONSAI {SNOB<}{AI}

23 Formless, trendy confectionery? No, pass! (8) INCHOATE {IN}{CHOcolATE}
24 Rich Neapolitan Sauce from one of New York's Five Families (8) GENOVESE [DD]
25 A grave tribute? (6) EULOGY [CD]

DOWN
1 Runner's back around end of June with Professor's reward (7) GUERDON {R{junE}UG<}{DON}
2 Once in a while, every idiotic criminal losing it perhaps (8) PERIODIC {PER}{iDIOtIC*}
3 Live? So soon! Will I win debate finally (6) ONLINE [Tail Acrostic]
4 Animal upset about bloomer (8) CAMELLIA {CAMEL}{AIL<}

5 Some enjoy GIF featuring revolutionary figure (6) EFFIGY [T<]

6 Bluff about extremely feisty char (7) TORREFY {TOR}{RE}{FeistY}
8 Kindling Spooner's conflict with a story-teller? (8,1,4) LIGHTING A FIRE Spoonerism of     FIGHTING A LIAR
14 Devil came through? (8) OUTLIVED {DEVIL*}[RA]
15 Doh! These ride sharing arrangements made a mess of a school drop? (3,5) CAR POOLS {CAR POOLS+DOH}*= A SCHOOL DROP
16 Impudent when cycling around upright, humble cavalryman (7) TROOPER {(+T)TPER(-t)} around {POOR<} Pert is impudent and PERT cycling is TPER. Humble=Poor. A lost P is unaccounted for.
16 Impudent when cycling around upright, humble, masked cavalryman (7) TROOPER {(+T)TPER(-t)} around {pOOR<} Clue modified by Pixie Dust

17 To some extent buffoons tag equilibrists in view of the audience (7) ONSTAGE [T]
19 Handgun's part of a blossom, we hear (6) PISTOL {~PISTIL}
21 Spot alien's bag (6) POCKET {POCK}{ET}

Reference List

Republican=R, Member of parliament=MP, (Sex) Appeal=it, First Class=A1=AI, About=Re, Alien=ET (Extra-Terristrial).