CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Unusually fab, iconic name for a series (9) 6. Gone to get a meal from an Italian? (5) 9. One corrupting prophet ensnares French noble (7)

10. Half the rally place advert for passengers (7)

11. Heading for London, group is trouble (5) 13. What’s lab beaker if mistreated? (9) 14. Widespread disturbing pain vexes (9)

16. Burden of working with America (4) 18. Attempt to keep old system of weights (4) 19. Left making improvements, removing black text (9) 22. Nearly run over brownish-grey butterfly (9)

24. Pop concert books joint (5)

25. Ancient religion’s home is in Jamaica (7) 26. Good film for an actor: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, say (7) 28. Courteous man entertaining English author (5)

29. Drug agent is suspect plant (9)

DOWN 1. Split with female’s certain (7)

2. Shoot mate in Chicago (3)

3. What attracts smokers — nearly ten outside one small building (8) 4. What some substitute for chocolate over cutting sugar, perhaps (5)

5. Like wet weather to increase, making river into lake (9)

6. Father on the continent imports British wig (6)

7. Present flags in support of squadron’s foremost flyer (4,7) 8. Formal speech where one usually sleeps (7) 12. Belief in lie after drink is taken (11)

15. Where Douglas is stirring semolina with force (4,2,3)

17. Iron is hung all over the place in a Chinese system (4,4)

18. Mug finding something amusing about British prison (4,3)

20. Conjecture about origins of the latest chicken (7)

21. String player needing no book for help (6) 23. Young fish always around loch (5) 27. Reduced price for lettuce (3)