CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Popular headmaster heard about things, in theory (2,9)

9 Soldiers take part in a regular course (5) 10 Underlined the burden imposed on boss, on paper (8)

12 Compose oration for a place in the New World ... (7)

13 ... and enable one to develop another place in the New World (7)

14 The last post could be sent on line, say (5) 15 Manages to get away, and forces people to leave their homes, etc (6,3)

18 Took the lead with a fresh product, initially, although rather headstrong (3-6) 20 Audience told to keep still, bit by bit (5) 21 Did Slater have to go to a US city to find Lawson? (7)

24 You have to work this out, as it’s quite obscure (7)

25 Find the way in at first to get into a party (8)

26 Two hands run before working at scandalhit US firm (5)

27 Stop one having to make a speech. It can only get worse (11)

DOWN

2 Have the inborn ability, without affectation (7)

3 Having pondered about society, answered back (9)

4 Girl in touch with governor may be quite conventional off-line (5) 5 Stimulate people to build a new steeple (7) 6 Mislead people, for example, about being a vassal or a lord (5)

7 Get part of the answer when about to explain yourself (3,3,5) 8 Summarise a sailor’s leaflet. It’s unreal (8) 11 Prepare for action, at some stage, by giving background information (3,3,5)

16 CID ration out information as a pointer (9) 17 Upset those using the wrong kind of swing (8)

19 General was forced to spell things out in greater detail (7)

20 By way of recompense, give some money to the workforce, at the end (7) 22 Have little information, commonly, about a literary style (5)

23 The greatest character got a blackeye, we’re told, but he had an excuse (5)