PORTRAIT: THE CRYPTIC:

ACROSS

1. Initiate ridiculous lump, old fruit (5,4) 6. Horrify a quiet friend (5) 9. An infant, young Brontë – but an emblem (5) 10. Wilder assembly, normally (9) 11. Famous stone, secured in the round (7) 12. Rotter, declare the corpse (7) 13. Vegetable surplus stores? Be buggered! (8,6) 17. Liquid helium for Toscanini? (14) 21. Remove 1000 south, assuaging angry big lizards (7) 23. Flier around journalist – 500 in union (7) 25. Great shot – puncture popular individual! (4,2,3) 26. God and Buttrose share a side plate (5) 27. Fashion line in optic ailment (5) 28. Elope then? Garbled communication (9)

DOWN

1. Fledermaus — hot, but a crashing bore. Just wear it (8) 2. Promises or curses? (5) 3. Half the S Apple Isle’s east needs and small cup of coffee (9) 4. Square canvas? Haul and suffer! (7) 5. Chaps, top performers – but threats (7) 6. First-class claret exposed to the public (5) 7. Put together all-up vote for a field event (4,5) 8. Tiers of chooks (6) 14. Three turns, two pole – friend follows, but not commonly (9) 15. Lose your footing after 18 holes of golf – you end up back where you started! (5,4) 16. Car raged noisily in this contest (4,4) 18. Actors not home – dismiss! (4,3) 19. Lead FDR’s policy (3,4) 20. Strong and single – the woman’s angles (6) 22. One in the snout – you can hear it! (5) 24. Jones, the Elizabethan architect? I’m taking the plunge! (5)

Solution next week