CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Stupefied at finding a poet’s inspiration in bed (7)

4. Lose moisture, having unfortunately bled around the bone (7)

8. Compelled to sound like a servant-girl (4)

9. A lure that could net ten mice (10)

11. Fuel producer has nothing: one gets girl anyhow (3-3)

12. Sacredly obscure way to act: I’m sly about it (8)

14. Dread of animals that almost zoom, hop about with endless bait (9)

15. Vessel going south will double back on itself (5)

17. Go in for tree arrangement around the North (5)

18. Sort of photography to see how long it takes sepal to unfold (4-5)

19. Following a motif that mice can work out (8)

21. Preceding blend of beer (6)

23. Store of food or return to dream in afterthought (10)

24. He gets the trains back? Don’t believe him! (4)

25. Getting shot of it, did get upset: telephone around (7)

26. Conceited person might hide bag for him (3-4)

DOWN

1. Confound one having minced lamb with booze (9)

2. Where cats’ eyes are not extreme in politics (6-2-3-4)

3. Dip one’s biscuit in liquid unknowingly (4)

4. Collections of cows from Mayfair using short roads (5,5)

5. It’s futile for writer to turn up in it (5)

6. It is broken between the ring and the altar (6,2,7)

7. Praise one who let ox loose (5)

10. Be uncertain how to act with herd, it turns out (6)

13. Not voting for rating, is leaving a bad mark (10)

15. One’s loose change awarded for coming in second (6)

16. Had rather been promoted (9)

19. Animal with trap one set for it (5)

20. Excuse for not being there making one break bail (5)

22. Shoemaker liable to look down his nose at one? (4)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 1. Misconstrue 8. Impudent 9. Burn 10. Tests 13. Dodo 16. Prop

17. Fern 18. Iron 20. Posse 24. Tear 25. Reticule 26. Meet half-way Down: 2. Imps 3. Cadge 4. Nonet 5. Rabid 6. Disappoints

7. Encountered 11. Slump 12. Slurs 14. Oxen 15. Polo 19. Nurse

21. Opera 22. Stiff 23. Puma