CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 That which is hastily diminished? (5)

6 Try something terribly easy around the leisure centre (5) 9 Six-nil for a time? That’s bad! (7)

10 Dragged to the altar? (5) 11 Go for a huge piece – scoop it out! (5)

12 Claps carelessly on one’s head! (5)

13 In a dream, be worshipful about one (7)

15 Girl in a million? (3)

17 In the end, one gets the girl (4)

18 Promise as a certainty (6) 19 She may be shy about her record (5)

20 Handy new fuel for the Americans (6)

22 Oven with a halo round it when working? (4)

24 Be briefly doubtful of what might be detected (3) 25 Links some business up with the French (7) 26 Geographical location of Tammany Hall (5) 27 Musical instrument of Shakespearean character (5)

28 Those magnetic foreigners? (5)

29 Wherein, shopping, one can get scared (but not wet) (7) 30 Untidy as an eating place? (5)

31 State taxes revised (5)

DOWN

2 Part of a pressure cooker, doubtless (6)

3 A balanced, regular guy (6)

4 Passed over just the same (3)

5 Something to do with bread (5)

6 Shingle formation academically studied (7)

7 Pack up and post, perhaps (4)

8 Does he show degrees of sportsmanship? (6) 12 Maybe sly about a bit of a fib, the witch! (5) 13 Again, transport can be a problem (5)

14 Faults, perhaps, but they can be gripping! (5) 15 Decoration taking Malcolm about half an hour (5) 16 Abbreviation used for convenience (5)

18 It has strings attached (5)

19 A slimmed-down outline can mean a lot to a woman (7) 21 Lying back looking lethargic (6)

22 Disagree with an attitude at work (6)

23 Girl serenaded endlessly? (6)

25 Weight of a cart, possibly? (5)

26 Copy a girl, sadly (4) 28 Puppeteer’s favourite? (3)