CRYP TIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Long to be in court getting kudos (6) 5 Underwear worn by bearer for farce (8) 9 Doctor worried about son getting more dozy (8) 10 Nasty experience of French in exam (6) 11 What soup must be served for a left-hander? (8) 12 Most of money at home — nothing for this establishment! (6) 13 Former partner working in confined surroundings is a skilled performer (8) 15 Mock court clown dismissing man of God (4) 17 Help to bottle cold bitter (4) 19 Tars stop, surrounded by snakes (8) 20 Physicist’s cook disheartened by scheme (6) 21 Court hearing about short back-hander (8) 22 Do without love and avoid being fool (6) 23 Prevarication — it’s the middleof- the-road thing, not new (5,3) 24 Mate astride wild steed needs support (8) 25 Confess, accepting case of perjury -- it’s intelligence work (6) DOWN 2 Service broadcast on behalf of church (3,5) 3 In what way it’s a broadcast as a weapon of war (8) 4 Dog whistles which protrude from rear of car? (9) 5 Give up, and include drier as part of the deal (5,2,3,5) 6 Queen Victoria welcoming a single worker of a different sort (7) 7 Precisely identified southern ocean, possessing energy for area (8) 8 Chicken feed lacking iron, and showing signs of age (8) 14 Cancels training of fillies after a French uprising (9) 15 Being pretentious, started improving (6-2) 16 Involved hospital department and suffered (8) 17 Cleverly redesigned statue, largely hollow (8) 18 Popular victory, when no one is up for forced entry (8) 19 Agrees bill with ranked players being listened to (7)