CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

12/8 ACROSS

1. Volume is contractual, it being a publishing craft (11)

8. To come so, make this breast of it (5)

9. The breastbone is, for the most part, at the back (7)

10. Tim does thus become a maker of fashionable dresses (7)

11. Is wakeful to the siren’s sound (5)

12. Lumber somebody with a rider’s seat (6)

14. Annul it, and fail to follow suit (6)

18. Thin mortar, or its reverse in the alimentary canal (5)

19. At four, one’s trousers may get a soaking (7)

21. It may be considered to be the thoughtful view (7)

23. Unsophisticated reverse for this French spa town (5)

24. One may have critical appreciation of a looker, tit for tat (3,3,2,3)

DOWN

1. How one develops into comb, see? (7)

2. Was too extravagant of Verdi to do a variation (7)

3. Sol takes the old boy up for something extra (5)

4. Made a home with a bird perhaps (6)

5. Repeat it with a tree that’s uprooted (7)

6. Explosive sort of cotton Lewis provided (3)

7. Put me in bed in a postwar airliner (5)

13. One among the cattle moving round the barred grid (7)

15. One sort of glass, one that includes a lip perhaps (7)

16. It is the inner, distinctive nature of perfume (7)

17. Strong liquor, gin, sot might mix (6)

18. The renown of the old stars and stripes (5)

20. Care with which a betel-nut is mixed (5)

22. It will not be cut by one who carries no weight (3)

SATURDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 1. Scented 5. Referee 9. Rehearsal 10. Spare

11. Tendered 12. Seeing 14. Theorised 16. Mitre 17. Acted

19. Retention 21. Turret 22. Grabbing 26. Beset 27. Chain gang

28. Experts 29. Suspect

Down: 1. Sprat 2. Enhance 3. Trade 4. Dispensary 5. Rule

6. Fisherman 7. Realist 8. Evergreen 13. Editorials 14. Tractable

15. Red setter 18. Turns up 20. Imitate 23. Bonus 24. Gigot

25. Aces SATURDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 7. Appear 8. Humane 10. Deserts 11. Leery 12. Roll 13. Hobby

17. Atone 18. Tofu 22. Cello 23. Evident 24. Leaped 25. Bulged

Down: 1. Warders 2. Apostle 3. Marry 4. Lullaby 5. Laced 6. Beryl

9. Astounded 14. Stroked 15. Foreign 16. Custody 19. Scold 20. Cloak

21. Pious

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