CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Sort of tirade about one book?

Could be (8) 5 Counter still seen in places on

counter (6) 9 Appeal bound to produce

fun (8) 10 Puzzle amateur with dances

first (6) 12 Mention it in church (4) 13 Very impressive meal interrupted by rude comic (5-5) 15 Consider beginning to try

boosting sporting event (13) 19 Salary supplement an advantage to Edinburgh festival? (6,7) 23 Small-minded fussy relation

joins National Trust (10) 25 Cautious manner’s about

right (4) 28 Provoke some meeting Italians on way back (6) 29 Very undernourished? Cut

up leek with salt (8) 30 Hooray! Yankee and I take

exercises among others (6) 31 Made progress at a higher

level (8)

DOWN

1 Portray occasionally idle old

northerner (6) 2 Skilful promotion on record

time (5) 3 English teacher brought up

pay increase (4) 4 Soldiers occupy branch in

town (7) 6 Drunk left in difficult situation

(5) 7 I can’t shop freely without

visiting this maybe (9) 8 Learned to carry jug and pipes

for water etc. (8) 11 Live without wife in valley (4) 14 Graze arm (4) 15 Like increased assets or minutes after meeting? (7,2) 16 Now and then strike match

(3) 17 One fellow sent in iron instrument (4) 18 Fifty in a corrupt association

(8) 20 What prisoner does? A

hobby, for example (4) 21 Don skin somehow offering

firm grip (7) 22 Lens cover that’s highlighted

in shadow? (6) 24 D rink’s delayed, limiting

time (5) 26 One pursued by Cortez,

crookedly extracting gold (5) 27 Jumper obtained in raffle

apparently (4)

Yesterday’s solution (15,830) ACROSS:

6 Opencast mining. 9 Trauma. 10 Test tube. 11 Disburse. 13 Indeed. 15 Glitch. 17 Annals. 19 Scream. 20 Reaction. 22 Honeydew. 24 Shrill. 26 All-in wrestling.

DOWN:

1 Boarding school. 2 Beau. 3 Eclair. 4 Omission. 5 Knot. 7 Settee. 8 Noblesse oblige. 12 Baize.14 Dealt. 16 Comedown. 18 Browse. 21 Assets. 23 Edit. 25 Rain.