the crossword PUZZLE 14983

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Not the best way to beat an opponent (5) 8 It may be paternal - or not (8) 9 Tongue of land round a lake that’s overflowed (5) 10 A nose did suffer from them (8) 11 Employing a piece of dubious ingenuity (5) 12 Interview for a bishop’s palace (3) 16 Figure in the art world (6) 17 Acquired permit ran out inside (6) 18 He may get beaten if he appears again (3) 23 Number get a fever that’s ill-defined (5) 24 Excel as a bootblack? (8) 25 I’d try tidying up if in this condition (5) 26 Act when some came in late (8) 27 Accident on court? (5)

DOWN

2 It comes in to fight on the other side (8) 3 The quality of the sea Italy’s in perhaps (8) 4 Manage to hear a composer (6) 5 Food spilt by blabbermouths (5) 6 Remained so we hear sober (5) 7 An explosive expletive (5) 12 Determined group of people (3) 13 Wood used in model-making (3) 14 Fast mail used for one’s resignation (8) 15 A form of question having inverted commas (2,6) 19 Cats in the pound (6) 20 They have their worth for a poet (5) 21 Checks rising symptoms of measles (5) 22 Plan to get a hundred deer (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Form a judgment of (5) 8 Begin to do (3,5) 9 Concise and significant (5) 10 Fulfil (4,4) 11 Insinuate (5) 12 Defective (3) 16 Agree (6) 17 Temporarily deferred (2,4) 18 Loud continued noise (3) 23 Regretful (5) 24 Almost (3,5) 25 To counterfeit (5) 26 And so on (2,6) 27 Express clearly (5)

DOWN

2 Somewhat excessive (1,3,4) 3 Share equally (2,6) 4 Western US state (6) 5 Burdened (5) 6 Chocolate-based drink (5) 7 Consider attentively (5) 12 Bottom of the sea (3) 13 Put on (3) 14 Decisive gunfight (5-3) 15 Satisfactory (3,5) 19 One after the other (2,4) 20 Subordinate to (5) 21 Pile (5) 22 Set of rooms (5)