30-MINUTE CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

3 Fully trained but subject to a

limitation perhaps (9) 8 Employer in serious error (4) 9 Swallow mother’s feast (9) 10 Stragglers revealed in street

lights (6) 11 They are certainly biased (5) 14 He keeps far too much to himself (5) 15 What one said after reflection

(4) 16 Therefore go away (5) 18 It’s about time for a piece of

news (4) 20 Take it and go (5) 21 Either way you can play it (5) 24 Company doctor at a fight (6) 25 He doesn’t have to be smart to

fool the birds (9) 26 It means no rest to the Italian (4) 27 The growth of a fairy-tale (9)

DOWN

1 Her charges are usually small (9) 2 Sad bearer of news indeed (9) 4 It could kill though it’s not down

as poison (4) 5 There’s a great deal to

this game (5) 6 Show touching affection (6) 7 Made-up cheese (4) 9 Wise choice of an original

Christmas gift (5) 11 Tied up money? (5) 12 As a personal record, it’s rather

fragmentary (9) 13 Anticipate the woods cover

everyone (9) 17 Drinking bender (5) 19 Her sisters are not really her

sisters (6) 22 Tom comes up with it — that’s

understood (5) 23 He follows the account

painfully (4) 24 A spring I pass round (4)