CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Drink one for excitement (5) 6 Gathers various pears (5) 9 To a certain measure hardened to being blamed (7) 10 A blue one may go to a woman’s head (5) 11 Be a round peg? (3,2) 12 Concerning taking a seaman away (5) 13 Yes, an Italian name for a hot wind (7) 15 Pull out of town (3) 17 For a spell, it’s a change from Canute (4) 18 Girl coming in during playing (6) 19 Has she handled a revolver? (5) 20 Shocked by the number not exactly correct? (6) 22 Applaud a ham at a certain junction (4) 24 A score that could test one’s patience? (3) 25 Where, in a heated situation, there’s a hush when you make a catch? (7) 26 Discover what money you deserve? (5) 27 An old army measure known to Noah (5) 28 Put up with not hot running water (5) 29 African territory where the main difficulty is a lot of bias? (7) 30 Supporters’ cards? (5) 31 Old name for the Stars and Stripes (5)

DOWN

2 Though dried, is in water (6) 3 Might seem lucky to a masterly clansman (6) 4 A shot, excellent in placement (3) 5 Nominally, is famously unforgetful (5) 6 Denial of a small official American figure (7) 7 For publication, cook up a diet? (4) 8 Perhaps the reason why you can smell a really bad rat? (6) 12 Longed for a slice of cheddar (5) 13 Family in the street without a penny (5) 14 It’s strange, my game (5) 15 Sort of fight that can lead to littering at the ringside (5) 16 Tearful, a little, over extremes of poverty (5) 18 What a farmer can produce in the wood? (5) 19 They could have been spent in Spain (7) 21 She needs but half an hour to get Saul mad (6) 22 Beethoven’s Ninth, at church, is spoken! (6) 23 Protection from a Romeo in love (6) 25 Being feeble, fail outright (5) 26 An “off the cuff” connection? (4) 28 Doubly good and great (3)