CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Scottish king seen as

dull mug (6)

5 Maiden, one facing emotional pressure as

‘the other woman’? (8)

9 Wild ape, grunter in

exciting tale (4-6)

10 A modern miss collecting

pounds for charity (4)

11 Free from grime when brought

into class (8)

12 Numbers crazy about fruit (6) 13 Think as timid type

that’s lost love (4) 15 Community member, mostly horrible, wanting drink in pub? (8)

18 Displaced people creating ado

with Paris wrecked (8)

19 Things that can kill animal in

retreat (4)

21 Bird, old and cold, grasped by an

animal doctor (6)

23 I exist concealing endless desire, one appearing to be unreal (8)

25 English people of fashion in

college (4)

26 Direction taken by sailor? One

makes a bit of a meal of it! (4,6) 27 New tiro, learner within day

working with skill (8) 28 Planet faced with onset of

deadly shortage? (6) DOWN 2 Superior wise person demonstrates customary style of language (5)

3 Gloomy church always getting smaller in number (9)

4 Something sweet making aunt

go crazy (6)

5 Variation by mule – this being

awkward? (15)

6 Go across step half missing on

rickety ladder (8) 7 Field with only half the Spanish

football team (5)

8 Thus male has no time for selfdenial, being languid (9)

14 As one outside home, very unlike welcome guest (9)

16 Possibly a sugar, not something

bitter (9)

17 One opposed gets to induce

scorn (8)

20 Having a position in power,

subsequently lambasted (6) 22 Piece of poetry from somewhere in Switzerland, unfinished? (5)

24 Call and sink into chair maybe

after six (5)