CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across 7. A pour out of French underworld language (6) 8. Helpful advice – like a poker in the fire (3,3) 10. Overcareful, Alec runs away with vigour (7)

11. Junction aperture to put the oar through (5)

12. The First Lady has the right, always! (4)

13. Sounds like this material is purpose-made for the lounge chair (5)

17. Promised that Victor was in debt (5)

18. A secure place to keep South African iron ... (4)

22. ... or a place in South Africa to keep neat for a lark (5) 23. How to get Ali out of the tarpaulins? (7)

24. Remove from the riverbed and sprinkle with flour (6) 25. Something you can measure with alternative that’s out of this world (6) Down 1. Praised if I educe within (7) 2. Scab allowed. Must be a red (7)

3. Journeymen remove rumen and have a bit of fun with it (5)

4. Some grass found in the brush (7)

5. Seat to be in the sun with (5) 6. Disturb the peerage (5) 9. Engineer shortly argues with the lubricator (6,3)

14. Art form you can apply for (7) 15. He was no Austin curtainraiser, just the delivery boy (7)

16. Is this coastal town only found on the left? (7)

19. The boy in the ship slides (5) 20. Cooks with the skin on and gets browned (5)

21. Rates the flower (5)

Yesterday

Across: 1 & 5ac. Dialling tone, 8. Ultimate, 10. Bloc, 11. Sec, 13. Linen,

14. Haiku, 15. Poetry, 17. Eureka, 19. Reins, 20. Image, 22. Spa, 24. Iris, 25. Aquiline, 26. Gene, 27. Dismount.

Down: 1. Double parking, 2. Anton, 3. Lemon grass, 4. Glee, 6. Owllike, 7. Encouragement, 9. Tsar, 12. Chauvinism, 16. Elision, 18. Iraq,

21. Adieu, 23. Paid.