CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Fools holding passable

cards (9)

6 Reptile encountered in

Pernambuco, Brazil (5)

9 Hound disrupting mood’s

weightiness (7)

10 Copying operatic heroine,

wail (7)

11 Tight spot going around

pretty spiny trees (9)

12 Tip about first of roles to

memorize (5)

13 Dragon slayer overlooking

the second ravine (5) 15 Painting guys in

appropriate flat (9)

17 Holder of a deed left

with one bummer (9) 19 Temporarily leave

a warm coat (5)

20 Two Greek characters work in

St. Peter’s (5)

21 Sitting in rider’s seat, Kay and

Ed split (9)

23 Hero’s lover also caught by

salacious look (7)

24 Twilight getting

more regular (7)

26 Country star embracing Putin’s

approval (5) 27 Stopped to consider, nonetheless, in wager (9) DOWN

1 Black spout (3)

2 Snags strikeout signs (5) 3 Reputation Stuart ruined by error (7)

4 Kind of fatigue, certainly, in Eastern practise (9) 5 Cesspools add up, by the way (5)

6 Legendary kingdom appeared by fate (7)

7 Second-rate acne cure agitated pirate (9)

8 Fuel additive may rattle in convertible (4,7) 11 A simple logo transformed big

urban area (11)

14 Went off antelope’s grazing

territory (9)

16 Playing game, enter

contract (9)

18 Taboo about genetic material going back seemingly forever (2,3,2)

19 Rank body odour medicine with

no intrinsic effect (7)

21 Plant new bush around

mid-April (5)

22 Sound of a bell on either side of

one performance (5)

25 Wrench back and belly (3)