CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. He doesn’t like people to spare him – not like this (11)
8. At no time will it give smooth backing to the Right (5)
9. Game can be bent, completely (7)
10. Baby’s leading-strings one shares out with first nanny (7)
11. Vary first garnish with mixture of meat juices (5)
12. Buck will do to put everything back right (6)
14. One shooting from cover gets bird on top of rump (6)
18. American soldier acquired a leg of mutton (5)
19. One getting treatment showing he is willing to wait (7)
21. A fool to let hat fade like this (7)
23. ‘It is the very ___ of the moon’ (Othello) (5)
24. Custer erred in such a way that it could be restored to life (11)
DOWN
1. Was chewing the end, much put out (7)
2. Not very many separate leavers looking like this (7)
3. It tells the brain it’s a bit of a cheek (5)
4. Upright as the son might be (6)
5. Can go to fashion an eight-sided figure (7)
6. When one is expected to turn up with a letter in Greece (3)
7. Is devout about start of Lent, and it’s prickly (5)
13. It’s simple if there’s no painting around (7)
15. White-faced buffoon got porter out to carry one (7)
16. The Sappers, needing a rest, are no longer working (7)
17. An eight-foot rest for one’s cue (6)
18. Social blunder to give up cigarette, life being halved (5)
20. At that point half the team will take her in (5)
22. High rock exposed in history (3)
SATURDAY’S SOLUTION
Across: 1. Absolute 5. Heaped 10. Tweed 11. Righteous
12. Numbers 13. Heading 14. Seraph 16. Mariner 19. Starter
21. People 25. Bailiff 26. Catwalk 28. Suspender 29. Trade
30. Rotate 31. Champers
Down: 1. Astonish 2. Steamer 3. Lodge 4. Thrash 6. Extra time
7. Provide 8. Dosage 9. Egghead 15. Pertinent 17. Perfidy
18. Feckless 20. Twin-set 22. Placate 23. Abuser 24. Scorch
27. Totem