CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 Did old Bob need a close one? (5) 6 Not quite an ear to the ground? (5) 9 Nominally, an ant doesn’t get all the bees’ produce (7) 10 It’s lovely to have a baby, perhaps (5) 11 Nice people, one possibly reads (5) 12 He sang badly, out of turn (5) 13 Denies having demented trances (7) 15 Having a bit of an impediment, not strong (3) 17 His E-mail, it seems, has a letter missing (4) 18 Maybe feeling no end catty! (6) 19 Frenzied offer by an artist (5) 20 Joins or misguidedly unties (6) 22 Just visible in summer, especially (4) 24 Accurately quoted on the first of September, I see (3) 25 Emperor who had to break off with the Americans? (7) 26 They provide security when an officer is imprisoned by soldiers (5) 27 Slave in a hotel,

maybe (5) 28 It can mean anything or nothing (5) 29 Angels in

retreat? (7) 30 Name a lyric

composer (5) 31 One showing villainy by getting round dad somehow (5) DOWN 2 Left in the ladies’ quarters, somewhere in New York (6) 3 Destroyer of a London museum and rail terminus (6) 4 Finish in seven

days (3) 5 Barking is bad

for them (5) 6 Put up with Ned possibly being terribly rude (7) 7 They’re of one

accord (4) 8 Did Dick turn out to be awfully good? (6) 12 A salt shaker you could buy in a bookshop (5) 13 Uncle’s red-headed birds (5) 14 Like pride of

place? (5) 15 An aquatic performer of some diversity (5) 16 Old people like

me, boy! (5) 18 Figures in a ball

game (5) 19 Funny article, usually of a musical nature (7) 21 By no means in

a bad way (6) 22 Did she give her viewers a stony look? (6) 23 Hurried ahead, being unreasonably rude about the hush (6) 25 Unwisely takes

a bet (5) 26 Desert area of quaking bog near the capital of India (4) 28 The round part of a doorbell (3)