CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

17 293

Across

1. Old unit I suspect is weakening (8)

5. Early sign of sadness in musical group missing northern sailor (6)

9. Refuses to comply with corrupt bodies? Yes outwardly (8)

10. English fellow given electrical device gets to talk excitedly (6)

12. Old instrument is usually reliable? Not altogether! (4)

13. Punctuation mark in passage addressed to a person? (10)

15. Mass, maybe, waiting behind two clubhouses fringing old city (6,7)

19. An expert in giving needle to others? (13)

23. Sign of physical strength cut before broadcast? About right (5,5)

25. Fighter facing trouble gets to be unsuccessful (4)

28. Companion in front of this zone for multicoloured fabric (6)

29. Toy Clive played with has speed (8)

30. Standard opera left (6)

31. Any deals poorly designed are broken down? (8)

Down

1. Peculiar lot firstly in Germany and Spain have easy thing to do? (6)

2. Change of roles for unsuccessful sort (5)

3. Neighbour held up brass instrument (4)

4. Copy I’m altering about league relating to noted games? (7)

6. Deduce unusually fine opening to recital (5)

7. Depressed pair in back of depot to get design plan (9)

8. European writer captivated by thing done got more intense? (8)

11. Catches one’s breath avoiding first snakes (4)

14. Influential teacher for all to see in good contact sport (4)

15. True curio excited one

creating outfits? (9)

16. Damage popular venture? (3)

17. In audience, study actress Anne (4)

18. Prohibit malfunctioning cab in fortified gateway (8)

20. Boast from rector in Jersey, perhaps (4)

21. Male relative essentially rank and lacking in hygiene? (7)

22. Stripped following delay at work (6)

24. Additional spear carrier? (5)

26. Sign of decay after cold disappears (5)

27. Counter showing metal in a thin sheet (4)