CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Wearing precious stones and nothing else is wrong (9) 6 What’s swallowed by staff about to provide treatment (5)

9 The work of a man of letters? (10,5) 10 Quartet's cover of tune with musical style (6) 11 Lets rip violently, Yankee, like father (8) 13 John, punched by cad, gets shiner: this hinders movement (5,5)

14 American’s not eating in country (4)

16 I won't and I will retreat (4)

17 Nitwits excited, receiving marks for test (10)

19 Provided drug, having made crack (8)

20 He'll go on record initially, interrupting old man (6) 23 Communist Chinese dish, mostly poultry, takes shape (9,6) 24 He hates company failure, changing central direction (5) 25 Names covering brown walls of the famous residence (6,3)

DOWN

1 Spin around, lacking velocity still (5) 2 Something articulated about remedy for politicians’ proposal (5,10)

3 Eat basil in a stew, potentially getting full (8)

4 Key passage without its opening note (4) 5 English skill behind film's sound engineering device (3,7)

6 Guide was in touch with royalty (6)

7 Drink port, 24" bottles, and move clumsily (4,3,4,4)

8 US money and yen received, clutching a buck (5,4)

12 Scot waggles bum, meeting countryman? (10)

13 Wicked bats flew round (9)

15 Drive away from route through European mountains (8)

18 Military group swims, coming up for a rest (6)

21 Grown son wearing nothing from Dior? (5) 22 Seamstress may add one attention-seeking remark (4)