Crossword

GIVE YOUR BRAIN A WORKOUT

Solve the clues and feel smart.

ACROSS

1 Before midsummer, mother gets a novice a cat, say (6) 5 Every character joins the heartless Catholic empire (5) 9 Ring with information on fluorine, for example (7) 10 A French veto about island – that’s negative (5) 11 Quiet time after weep in vault (5)

12 Crack bad habit, putting credit note first (7) 13 Study distributed by NATO (6) 15 Heard officer was a nut (6) 18 Managed to get one to show respect for weather feature (7) 20 Simpleton returns to par-boil stew (5) 23 Attorney and Scot sent back watery spirit (5)

24 He would send card about cheese (7)

25 Turn and dance (5)

26 In the morning, shot for theatrical behaviour (2-4)

DOWN

2 Friend swallows oxygen mixture (5)

3 Game not played a great deal (7)

4 Sculpting clay outside

– a French madness (6) 5 A portal of stone (5) 6 Teaching gut feeling, but not at home (7)

7 Line dance with energy by large set (7) 8 Elegant bird with no knowledge (4)

13 Brat involved with single peer (7)

14 It is wrong to take back liberal capital (7) 16 Encourage chief to be a boffin (7)

17 Terrible whack to a currency (6) 19 Debit arranged for bathroom furniture (5)

21 Dime wasted on a radio, is one of them (5)

22 Dog really captured a monster (4)