CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Dodgy videos in northeast plummet (4-4) 5 Two-thirds confuse what pandas eat (6) 9 Write about small bed in river (8) 10 Cursed ex-DJ managed to retain current name (6) 12 Lines about one unknown plant (4) 13 Poor child ruffian tormented around school (10) 15 Bossy writer with Italian changing side (13) 19 Who, say, has to bury old gun in river briefly? (13) 23 County politician meets a group on time for fellow citizen (10) 25 Handle king and knight on board at first (4) 28 Four in poll make such offerings in church maybe (6) 29 Praiseworthy ballade composed about university (8) 30 Arab visits bank

infrequently (6) 31 Curriculum with added book ‘Making Cream Desserts’ (8)

DOWN

1 Where branch may appear to doze at Christmas, I hear (6) 2 This is always more than

enough for rope-maker (5) 3 Dutch vessel’s

certainly not light (4) 4 Effect of quavers

quavering? (7) 6 It sounds like

a proper bye (5) 7 Buy seats here for fight with old fellows on the rocks? (3,6) 8 Trainee minister or grandmother made clothing (8) 11 Flowing garment

Gershwin’s picked up (4) 14 Commotion in prison (4) 15 Instrument in plane I assembled to change screens (9) 16 Scrap paper (3) 17 A big shot at Old Trafford

upset alliance (4) 18 Find is initially confirmed

in port (8) 20 Monster conger-eel with

no odd features (4) 21 Lay on a spread around end of term? That’s unusual (7) 22 Some jobs essentially

are engrossing (6) 24 Trouble involves new very

heavy block in forge (5) 26 Collar old bishop

and magnate (5) 27 Celeb’s out of work,

by the sound of it (4)