CRYP TIC CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Time lag’s got to be extended (7) 5 Flesh is cut — that’s mean (7) 9 Ordinary American university next to Alabama (5) 10 Greedy, getting stung by debts (9) 11 Peculiar person (10) 12 Mother’s temperature — it rises on board a ship (4) 14 Criminal man’s honest? It creates confusion (12) 18 Crazily invest more to secure MP’s changes for the better (12) 21 Cheat has no right to get sign of approval from teacher (4) 22 Without a thought, recluse lays ground to ignore what’s proper (10) 25 Staying much absorbed, initially, in what carriage driver is doing? (9) 26 Fish with a line? Perfect (5) 27 Orchestral performance has new ending — that’s a worry (7) 28 Groan — Edward’s spotted (7)
DOWN
1 Where one might find artists hard-working? Not us! (6) 2 Skirts no good in gardens (6) 3 I’ve let son out to purchase one box set (10) 4 Picked up king, perhaps, to capture rook (5) 5 Military vessel? It’s not seen in the main (9) 6 Behind time, with others turning up (4) 7 Remote island with very old diamonds (8) 8 Stall he has that is containing junk (8) 13 Caught mad character in government, babbling (10) 15 Where one might hear music transformed into action (9) 16 Mash is, to Richard, somewhat remarkable (8) 17 Small rodents returning in animal enclosure, for example (8) 19 Approve climb, we hear? (6) 20 Went round cricket club — was first unknown to be welcomed in (6) 23 Slowly moves insect, top to bottom (5) 24 The man maintaining I would go to ground (4)