CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

FOR your chance to win, solve the crossword to reveal the word reading down the shaded boxes. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6233 and leave today’s answer and your details, or TEXT 65700 with the word CRYPTIC, your answer and your name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. Or enter by post by sending completed crossword to Daily Mail Prize Crossword 16,074, PO Box 28, Colchester, Essex CO2 8GF. Please include your name and address. One weekly winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Postal entries must be datestamped no later than the following day to qualify. Calls/texts must be received by 23.59; answers change at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, exc NI. Terms apply, see Page 60.

ACROSS

6 Aim of some parades? Not if I indicate otherwise (14) 9 Maybe monitor head in Cornwall (6) 10 Flight rate raised at sea after introducing exercises (8) 11 Hard hat worn out in May (8) 13 Choppy Tyne swamps main road, creating hostility (6) 15 Gossip about black and brown making a return (6) 17 Take a spin? Could be great around end of July (6) 19 Mike owns very big area that’s covered in tesserae (6) 20 Start to offset embassy oversight (8) 22 Duke is second to enter gallery, showing aversion (8) 24 Selling church benefits US singer, the last of many (6) 26 Milton’s preface displayed bumptiousness (4-10)

DOWN

1 Troops regulate MPs (8,6) 2 Dairy product consumed by the plateful withdrawn (4) 3 Diligent American quitting artist’s workplace (6) 4 Guide cycles round Arkansas, but only just (8) 5 Cuddles up for part of flight (4) 7 Peacekeepers take part in tedious parade (6) 8 Legally sold company in other venture abroad (4-3-7) 12 Somewhat upset, having ingested one bone (5) 14 Guy’s collected close to infinite resources (5) 16 Pardon English compiler following old coppers (6,2) 18 The Spanish call in brother for nifty footwork (6) 21 Pose in uniform outside in the original place (2,4) 23 Big dog ignores

mother’s scrap (4) 25 Recover first of nets

in sea (4)