CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Dynasty of French kings with private capital in Africa (8) 5 Unthinkingly repeat average nonsense (6)

9 Shifting them, had to figure it out (2,3,4)

11 Goddess of the hunt rejected an assist (5)

12 Elizabethan knight messed up hair gel (7)

13 Tiki bar orders neckwear of mine for audition (3,4) 14 People with a common belief in protest urge rioting (8,5) 16 Maverick posed clearest statement of belief (8,5)

20 Gab about Brazilian resort vehicle (7)

21 Novel I rue as a massive tract (7)

23 Have a beer, say, down by hockey arena (5)

24 Prepare to be dubbed “heavysounding composer” (4,5) 25 Like candy wrapped in dirty rag, usually from the rear (6) 26 Panic out of control this year (8)

DOWN

1 Some fragrant wood planters,

we hear (6)

2 Ring enclosing true part of a

rose (5)

3 John flipped about

Southern poet (1,1,5)

4 Near wheat beer, crackers

affected by the elements (7-6) 6 Getting confused working with numbers around 50 (7)

7 Recite from a book, saying

“grass legal” (4,5)

8 Byzantine patterns where

churchgoers find a cross? (8) 10 British cabinet minister, old as the hills, keeping me hidden (4,9)

14 Singling out, in proviso, Latin grammar (9)

15 Patterns used for pricing fish in strips (3,5)

17 Figure Rodin sculpted: fiddle outside front of house (7) 18 Wild horse at calling distance (7)

19 Blather “I’m a town in Washington” (6)

22 Furniture restricted up to now (2,3)