QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 Acid test (6) 5 Unassuming, self-effacing (6) 10 Collection of European territories, founded in 800 and abolished in 1806 (4,5,6) 11 Asks for charity (4) 12 Hollywood’s city (3,7) 14 Mixed drink (8) 15 Bird of prey (6) 18 Remuneration (6) 19 Veil, envelop (8) 22 Showing no thanks (10) 24 Soft feathers (4) 26 Uncomplicated, direct (15) 27 Relating to the nose (6) 28 House with two apartments (6)

DOWN

2 Irrational (9) 3 The Red Planet (4) 4 Figurative, allegorical (8) 5 Handbook (6) 6 Study of human populations (10) 7 Sound of bagpipes (5) 8 Suffering from an irrational fear or aversion (6) 9 Time of the year (6) 13 State of extreme hunger (10) 16 Confectionery made from cacao seeds (9) 17 Swallowed up (8) 18 Racket sport (6) 20 Lay bare (6) 21 Deadly (6) 23 Circumference, waistline (5) 25 Bundle up in paper or cloth (4)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: - 1 Exhumed. 5 Snigger. 9 Intelligibility. 10 Cafe. 11 Uzbekistan. 13 Pollster. 14 Attest. 17 Litter. 19 Gravamen. 22 Minestrone. 23 Hera. 25 Wiener schnitzel. 26 Doubter. 27 Parents.

Down: - 1 Episcopal. 2 Hateful. 3 Milk. 4 Drizzled. 5 Sliver. 6 Initiative. 7 Gristle. 8 Rayon. 12 Assessment. 15 Tentacles. 16 Tranship. 18 Tonneau. 20 Muezzin. 21 Eraser. 22 Mowed. 24 Pier.