CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Scottish king seen as dull mug (6)

5 Maiden, one facing emotional pressure as

‘the other woman’? (8)

9 Wild ape, grunter in exciting tale (4-6)

10 A modern miss collecting pounds for charity (4)

11 Free from grime when brought into class (8)

12 Numbers crazy about fruit (6) 13 Think as timid type that’s lost love (4) 15 Community member, mostly horrible, wanting drink in pub? (8)

18 Displaced people creating ado with Paris wrecked (8) 19 Things that can kill animal in retreat (4)

21 Bird, old and cold, grasped by an animal doctor (6)

23 I exist concealing endless desire, one appearing to be unreal (8)

25 English people of fashion in college (4)

26 Direction taken by sailor? One makes a bit of a meal of it! (4,6)

27 New tiro, learner within day working with skill (8) 28 Planet faced with onset of deadly shortage? (6)

DOWN

2 Superior wise person demonstrates customary style of language (5)

3 Gloomy church always getting smaller in number (9) 4 Something sweet making aunt go crazy (6)

5 Variation by mule – this being awkward? (15)

6 Go across step half missing on rickety ladder (8)

7 Field with only half the Spanish football team (5)

8 Thus male has no time for selfdenial, being languid (9)

14 As one outside home, very unlike welcome guest (9)

16 Possibly a sugar, not something bitter (9)

17 One opposed gets to induce scorn (8)

20 Having a position in power, subsequently lambasted (6) 22 Piece of poetry from somewhere in Switzerland, unfinished? (5)

24 Call and sink into chair maybe after six (5)