CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

4 Tangled with the boys (6)

7 More than ready (8)

8 He’s defensive about the question of clean sheets (6)

10 Soldiers’ poor return on middling investments (5)

13 Applies to fingerprints (4)

14 French cape? (4)

15 At midnight, a person has left (4)

16 One container of a number? (3)

17 Land of piranhas (4)

19 Restrain a broken hearted friend? (4)

21 Hardly a home for a drifter! (9)

23 Historically, people to shun? (4)

24 The mob will go north of the border (4)

26 To a leader of men, possibly Mr Jones (3)

27 Sort of singing to get the cats jiving? (4)

29 He nobly offers choice between pounds and old pence! (4)

32 It might need timely exposure to sunlight (4)

33 The price of thoughtfulness? (5)

34 Fail foolishly to accept the current beauty treatment (6)

35 Poet’s fondness for fine fabric (8)

36 Bets one accepts at one’s wits’ end? (6)

DOWN

1 The way to build huts around a circle (5)

2 Sort of sax for singer? (5)

3 Seize an item of luggage (4)

4 She’s good in an average case (5)

5 Leaves for the mysterious East (4)

6 Is done differently by an inventor (6)

9 Order a chap to be king of the fairies! (6)

11 Pull the boat into line? (3)

12 Bulb with a line on both sides! (5)

13 Irish lad gone wrong (7)

15 Might it arise from smouldering ashes? (3)

16 The part between one’s teeth? (3)

18 Where the American may appear in a sari? (6)

20 Bird confined to earth by a wild gale? (5)

21 Sing a Hummel piece (3)

22 Take a knock (3)

23 Australian town house for a titled person (6)

25 Superior naval vessel? (3)

28 Shouts on the phone? (5)

30 Back number possibly apt to be freely available (2,3)

31 Where an eddy swirls around Flamborough Head! (5)

32 A detective inspector – also a half back? (4)

33 Look sound? (4)