CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. To tell the waiter one wants sweet vermouth is to court disaster (3,3,2)

7. It is the craft of shopkeeping (5)

8. It is material for those wishing to hide their face (7)

9. One might leave ET to raise one to a higher plane (7)

10. Pretty clever not to have begun less than a right angle (4)

12. Bad weather brought into play (7)

14. It is responsible for tidying one’s grandeur of mien (7)

17. Stretch across as one leaves country in Europe (4)

18. Have something wrong with one in a blow from the sheriff’s man (7)

21. A lot of money paid in respect of the melody (7)

22. Enjoying good

21, is courageous but without a leader (5)

23. There are string players who sit around in prison rooms (8)

DOWN

1. Counsel diva may be given by the Church of England (6)

2. May be doing some pretty needling work (8)

3. If I’m to be around when upset, leave it out (4)

4. How to take it into one’s system sounds as if it’s meant jokingly (6)

5. It put a finish to a month of civilisation (4)

6. A flaw may make one transfer one’s allegiance (6)

7. Such underwear as may give one a warm uplift (7)

11. A legal term for a college at Cambridge(7)

13. They stop listening (8)

14. Be bald in the way one will have a go at art (6)

15. Fay was up and flew without a tail, like a woodpecker (6)

16. If not, give us lens and we’ll make it (6)

19. Barely move forward a twelfth of a foot(4)

20. In April a rookie turned up for the viva voce (4)