CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Producing great strides – and forcing giants to wear small pairs! (6,8) 8 I rent out still (5) 9 Growing one is illegal, but many of us grow more than one (3,5) 11 I have to follow Eastern females, etc, being represented as useful (9) 12 Take hold of feline companion (5) 13 Specialist doctor gets round ban (4) 14 One’s always right in store (8) 17 Tough Roy upset to get curdled food (8) 19 Such prospects show one’s in the pink (4) 23 American entering valley to gather corn? (5) 24 Come in after fish and chips (9) 25 Float I made to burst and be capsized aboard rescue craft (8) 26 Intense sorrow as a result of grand fire sputtering (5) 27 Food that could be said to produce a curiously lasting feline smile? (8,6)

DOWN

1 Female diplomat to get on first cruise (6,6) 2 Continue to have loud rumpypumpy exercises (4,3) 3 See what may be put on board? (6) 4 Concerned with digestion? Go getting nervous reaction (6) 5 Fleeing, one after another? (2,3,3) 6 Actor Lee Wild to move to a new setting? (8) 7 Knight in Muscat going round sacred place (7) 10 Sweet wine, not very much (6,6) 15 Titled woman, 50, dropped by many (8) 16 Little brother developed colic – it’s greens (8) 18 Grand king looks down on the old getting sent up, his bent being rather gloomy (7) 20 Sketch route for getaway? (7) 21 After court order, the man appears to squirm in pain (6) 22 Distance member goes round north – this is to be cut (6)