thecrosswords
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Capital animals to be found on the farm (5) 8 French authoress describing Bedouin dance in stately style (8)
9 Possibly the present state of a nervous person (5)
10 Recommending a distressed diva to continue working? (8)
11 Sadie gets wrong thoughts (5)
12 Maybe many decades are viewed in retrospect (3)
16 The unobservant use the wrong runway (6) 17 A narrow escape, by the sound of it! (6) 18 Some of the skiffs on a Scottish river (3) 23 Ordering a cab is essential (5)
24 Reckless injunction to keep increasing the rent (8)
25 It sounds like the height of resentment (5) 26 We take them to be warm, but our facts are wrong (3,5)
27 The range of an American destroyer (5)
DOWN
2 Taking steps to modify gradient (8)
3 One abandoned by players on opponents’ ground (8)
4 Andrew goes out for a ramble (6)
5 Boy of six immersed in pop (5)
6 Quick-firing motto . . . (5)
7 . . . of our time (5)
12 Note the old-fashioned watch (3)
13 Send an invitation and call for an answer (3) 14 Time turns around it (8)
15 Global degree of freedom (8)
19 Harebrained feline put in a pen (6)
20 The support which is employed (5)
21 Hang around looking black (5)
22 A green and mountainous part of France (5)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Authoritative order (5) 8 More direct route (5,3) 9 Marsh (5) 10 Precipitate (8) 11 Blazing (5)
12 Charge for service (3) 16 Northernmost US state (6) 17 Proclaim widely (6) 18 Touch lightly (3)
23 Less than (5) 24 Nostalgic (8)
25 Group of conspirators (5) 26 Thoroughly cooked (4,4) 27 Farewell (5)
DOWN
2 Ruin (8)
3 Consist of (8)
4 Steal (6) 5 Self-respect (5) 6 Exclusive news story (5) 7 Point in development (5) 12 Short-lived fashion (3) 13 Recede (3)
14 Denied (8)
15 Be humiliated (4,4) 19 Way up (6) 20 Ostentatious (5) 21 Suggest (5)
22 Into reserve (5)