CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Old adult in vain working

without energy (12) 9 Conservative girl’s single with

ring, almost pure (9)

10 Laziness of hotel pursuing

vacancy (5)

11 Sailor in pit finding Davy Jones’s

locker? (6)

12 Place in a loft, strangely very

high (8)

13 On reflection regretted taking

to diversion (6)

15 Getting cute? (8)

18 Officer agitatedly enrages

troops to begin (8)

19 Old politician fine after work,

retiring (6)

21 Case occasionally contains

container for drink (8)

23 Some fantasies taboo

in sleep (6)

26 Shower reportedly govern (5) 27 Catch bout involving start of

bilious indigestion (9)

28 Do French wear pants from now

on? (12)

DOWN

1 Suspect copper’s arrested by

brilliant old copper (7)

2 Oddly tribal, real headdress (5) 3 Shame on getting into

argument (9)

4 Crazy being caught inside

lavatory (4)

5 Endlessly disgusting drink

provided by local? (8)

6 Fools amorous advances

removing top (5)

7 Do time with form getting

remorseful (8)

8 Crowd seeing band covering

Queen (6) 14 Reptile quietly hiding

in ground (8)

16 Messiah embracing love about

uplifted singer (9)

17 Playful in a French resort,

nearly uncontrolled (8) 18 Protected spot protecting

dirty dog (6)

20 Scholarly Shakespearean character study rejected (7)

22 Coppers partially open cell (5) 24 Solid container using

bottled air initially (5) 25 Caught with a very strong drink

served here? (4)