CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Coins cut when produced for market (4,4) 5 Muscle on weaver’s frame is flourishing (6) 10 American folk singer to urge hit composition (7) 11 Selects French things containing prime originality (7) 12 Aunt’s opposite number reported to be in Riviera resort (5) 13 Heard grit grinding when 15 to this, perhaps (5,4) 14 Tell cheat large fabrication but be told the danger is past (3,3,3-5) 17 Parish peacekeeper loses right to attractive painting (5,9) 21 Phone criminal associate to protect funds from undesirable use (4-5) 23 Stare so hard at last dull interruption that eyes do this? (5) 24 What seabird consumed was like a threeleaved clover (7) 25 Police officer finds fur coat to be handicap (7) 26 Snug surroundings for regular talk are expensive (6) 27 How bridge contract may be settled to a
great degree (2,6) DOWN 1 Powerful intervention by Rococo gentleman (6) 2 Drunk present. Na-nana-na-nah! (2,5) 3 How fish get into woodwork (9) 4 Way of getting drugs overt – thence our downfall (4,3,7) 6 Light-headed fellow, 007, when deposition is second class (5) 7 How Seb Coe is treated round the north is disgusting! (7) 8 Have mercy on Scrooge, for example when ‘e’s about (8) 9 Greek hero has bone to pick, finally, with powerful body connection (8,6) 15 Prepares to increase speed when something new’s afoot (7,2) 16 Musical age seen in measure of whisky, say (8) 18 Does sun dart flickeringly across these vast frozen plains? (7) 19 Bad fuel spoils sign of spring (4-3) 20 Seamstress from the gutters? (6) 22 Strike wildly, going from one side to the other, when feeble (5)