CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Refuse sleep when it’s about right (5)

4. A lover who’s tall nag can be sorted out (7)

8. Use one ‘L’ instead if it’s turned into a dead language (9)

9. It is unintelligent to put one in German currency (3)

10. Moderate the way one will fit oneself for a certain position (7)

12. Copper it’s best to halve if it’s square on six sides (4)

14. Calf returned by the plain-clothes branch is limp (7)

17. Credit a bet of a sort for those working the boat (4)

18. Might adopt the French frog when small (7)

20. It isn’t the weight returned (3)

21. Half record return that somehow keeps coming back (9)

23. Can then be ordered to captivate one (7)

24. Live with women in a deep hollow (5)

DOWN

1. The melting and becoming liquid of about fifty dice, sequence shows (13)

2. Expenditure used to produce more eggs? (6)

3. Level-headed way Ben’s lies are sorted out (8)

4. Talk lightly about it in the main (3)

5. Woman who has her day on 25th March (4)

6. Passion ‘e finds difficult for sixty minutes (6)

7. Peter and Ma going mad, being highly excitable (13)

11. It sails from the Tay, church being involved in it (5)

13. Obstructed by the wrong end in being chartered (8)

15. One who doubts loss of carbon will be putrefactive (6)

16. In this place company is first to stick together (6)

19. Among the minor cachalots there are some killer whales (4)

22. In short, a twin-hull craft will look feline (3)