CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Cheer snob somehow beginning to get composer (10)

6 Parrot shy about pelican at first (4)

8 Reckon to have one million in assets (8)

9 Harvester in back-breaking exercise? (6)

10 Subtle quality – or unsubtle one! (8)

11 Pot knocked over: relatives will get serviette (6)

12 White magician conceals object (4)

14 Row about stray dog (7) 18 Throw back tailless crustacean (7)

20 Star returned in luggage van (4) 23 Tory and scoundrel are in agreement (6)

24 Old sailors with invitation to go round duchy (8)

25 Answer Joycean protagonist having come out (6)

26 Drollery less desirable as one gets on? (8)

27 Fateful day – team heading into last place (4) 28 Remarkable new town theory (10)

DOWN

1 Set point lost, but make quick progress (4,2,2)

2 Exciting bottom seen in place of undesirable activity (6)

3 Bad blood from European with German in New York (6)

4 Wager Ireland should accept no abomination (4,5)

5 Ignore flying doctor giving war cry (8)

6 What’s white and sparkling as teeth? (8) 7 PM, English, gives first performance (8)

13 Bats are able to develop (9)

15 Unfortunately meet Bond, getting buried (8)

16 Communist annoyed humanitarian organisation (3,5)

17 Common person seen in theatre, very mannered (8)

19 Less well entertained by some light banter (8)

21 One doing badly shows colour (6)

22 Scholar took exam, securing first place (6)