CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Like successful entrepreneurs, females busily collect diamonds (4-4) 5 Responsible one in laboratory meets the French (6) 9 Ring to endorse station’s ID (4,4) 10 The German devours pub food (6) 12 Oxford tie perhaps, large one (4) 13 Dine out on this story involving British clergy (10) 15 Speech about royal box arrangement for concert (13) 19 The best sailors essential in bakery? (5,2,6) 23 Old cow enthrals dotty OAPs, as one says after a trip? (4-1-5) 25 Authority’s posh carpet sent back (4) 28 Good wage wasted on whiskey and worthless bling (6) 29 Ban professional greeting bishop with it (8) 30 Risked including new American’s mild oath (6) 31 Notice project worker, officer’s aide (8)
DOWN
1 It cuts part of former Russian emblem (6) 2 Ring up to acquire one fragrant shrub (5) 3 Forest food found during Christmastide (4) 4 Humble duke agreed to be replaced (7) 6 Make slight change to 2 in pelvic area (5) 7 Robin worked with lead round container (9) 8 Western lawman originally had a single listener (8) 11 Where money’s inserted, lots possibly (4) 14 Swindle Greek character out of prawns (4) 15 Prove bad debtor’s defeat (9) 16 Several encounters in court get hard (3) 17 Pretentiously creative leader leaves function (4) 18 Flood, say, ruins cat food, about a gram (3,2,3) 20 Fine US city with defect (4) 21 Confident when taken to court about source of revenue (7) 22 Old Egyptian ruler repeated disapproving sound (3-3) 24 Floor’s an intriguing feature of Hampton Court (5) 26 One quitting Italian region’s dark area (5) 27 Solver once found in lighthouse (4)