THE WEEK CROSSWORD 1281
An Ettinger travel pass case and two Connell Guides will be given to the sender of the first correct solution to the crossword and the clue of the week opened on Monday 18 October. Email the answers as a scan of a completed grid or a list, with the subject line The Week crossword 1281, to crossword@theweek.co.uk. Tim Moorey (timmoorey.com)
ACROSS
1 First act in work Frenchman returned (6)
5 Anne sets out for tidy competence (8)
9 Mobile installed almost? Virgin’s part of it (8)
10 Spice Girl enthralling America? (6)
11 Dicky following one in lines for the Palace (10)
12 Yields unexpected backing (4) 13 Evaluates lady fools (whimsically!) (8)
16 Having no direction, senior nurses caught sadly short (6)
17 Lifts seen originally in high street store (6)
19 Gathered hot stuff from Dijon on the radio (8)
21 Here’s a dog – keep out! (4) 22 Call mother back endlessly about son, one running the show (4-6)
25 Quietly go off to have a row (6) 26 Leicester’s former partner in league (8)
27 Nightingale in the city (8) 28 What sailor gets in appraisal? (6)
DOWN
2 Church supporting writer with a little money (5)
3 Exposes snail being cooked (5) 4 Sonny perhaps at home in large car (7)
5 Cherishes what’s belonging to a Swiss company (7)
6 Such as Dire Straits (7) 7 Handle needing pressure behind – it’s usually found on the door (9)
8 Psychiatrist’s loss of business? (9)
14 A wife seen in stable block (9) 15 Docklands resident to finish cracking holiday (4,5)
18 Scottish politician has no time for theatre worker (7) 19 Fellow given fruit order (7) 20 Recording is shortly to get more plentiful (7)
23 Heartless sonofabitch behind swindle (5)
24 Tory author, one who’s finished a sentence (2-3)