CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. French composer belied changes being made to the South (7)

5. Repudiates him, now Sid’s been replaced (7)

9. Tiny bits leave each other with icicles in charge of loss (9)

10. Region of the lost low bar dancer (5)

11. Plants take the stage in the Channel Islands (5)

12. Glees could be strong in the French dance (4-5)

13. Careless chastisement very quietly seen in the hay (4-5)

16. He reigns and may have the measure of one (5)

17. Predicate backing containment of drink (5)

18. I’ll bend, i.e I can’t be rubbed out (9)

20. Credit? Fie! Adjustment has put that right! (9)

23. An ornament to hold close to one (5)

25. Caper among the defiant Icelanders (5)

26. When cost of living soars it’s putting air into one’s tyres (9)

27. Give it one’s backing as a sign? (7)

28. The most violent text remembered as containing it (7)

DOWN

1. Shows half the team of Ancient Britons (7)

2. Song-words, the undoing of Cyril (5)

3. UK native takes the railways: it is the lady’s (9)

4. Little Sarah has work for the county, in short (5)

5. Tory deeds somehow done away with (9)

6. Distinguishing colours of jockeys and QCs (5)

7. Feminist movement for men one bowls out (6,3)

8. He gives financial backing and snoops about, right? (7)

14. Stopped being king? Bad act: die off! (9)

15. Like Grandma Moses, I’m ‘It’ with viper, perhaps (9)

16. Not wanting to turn a Celt out (9)

17. Flowers when worn droop in the middle (7)

19. The cost of former writers going to the East (7)

21. Get into debt and perhaps ruin about a hundred (5)

22. Half made an enemy of a writer (5)

24. To wait for one in a bed like this (5)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across 1. Discernment 8. Suicidal 9. Joke 10. Blush 13. Yo-yo 16. Talk

17. Zeus 18. Eats 20. Stern 24. Tire 25. Tendrils 26. Sensational Down: 2. Iris 3. Chill 4. Reads 5. Enjoy 6. Assortments 7. Remorseless

11. Urges 12. Halve 14. Open 15. Slut 19. Skein 21. Treat 22. Rodeo

23. Visa