CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Agrees about awful mess

in tax evaluations (11)

9 Knot in weapon (3)

10 Stationery item is more pointed around Sunderland (9)

11 Unenlightened times? (4,4)

12 Benjamin swallows a

vegetable (4)

14 In the snow I therefore dry

up and waste away (6)

16 Unexpectedly erased Middle Eastern feature (3,3)

18 Hooligan has model to

embrace (4)

19 State capital of Nevada

planned as break (8)

22 Article in a Monet composition is tatty (4-5)

23 Disrobing while holding

sash (3)

24 Man naturally showing no

compassion (11)

DOWN

2 Person mending a pipe?

(5)

3 Confused nan’s deer,

caught in a trap (8)

4 Saved for new drapes (6)

5 Catch sight of English

agent (4) 6 Notes for singers, it’s

said (7)

7 Hymn for dimwit, he travelled into Lincoln (5,4,2)

8 Is able to block agrarian

distribution of island (4,7)

13 Fishes for the lady’s items

of jewellery (8)

15 Guardian found decay in

support (7)

17 From pollen, tilled an edible

seed (6)

20 School hols a disaster (5)

21 In France I hesitate to show

contempt by derision (4)