CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Elk has right to be gloomy (6) 4 Wife finds everything an obstacle (4) 7 Nothing about a form of digital protection (4) 8 Firework found in salad (6) 9 Must deal with dirt (4) 10 Repeat in the choir (4) 12 Firm about the middle (4) 14 Offence of losing (3) 16 Strange spirit (3) 17 Meeting doesn’t start for companion (4) 20 Quiet lie about mansion (4) 23 Tolerate animal (4) 24 Rested poorly in Sahara (6) 25 Yearn to be extensive (4) 26 Incline to be thin (4) 27 Terribly mean to the Spanish – that’s hard (6)

DOWN

1 Season of procession (5) 2 Cries endlessly about Chinese food (4) 3 Come in from barren terrain (5) 4 Want to be in kiwi’s home (4) 5 Not quite a large majority (6) 6 City can produce language (5) 11 Cancellation includes room (4) 13 The shape of cricket in London? (4) 15 One married friend has a graceful animal (6) 16 Film about British revolutionary (5) 18 Pledged to have a shelf (5) 19 Who tells about accommodation? (5) 21 Press club (4) 22 Some time in Outer Mongolia (4)