CRYP T I C CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Firmly fix length of wood,

blue (6,4)

6 Losing time, walk to find

way up? (4)

10 Circle, or segment (5)

11 Tito again in turmoil, showing

nervousness (9)

12 Nightie e.g. in centre of bed,

tangled with leg (8)

13 Period that’s quiet in trade (5) 15 Was ruler pelted, as stated? (7) 17 Swell railway: just the place for

a doctor (7)

19 Affected by bacteria round top of commode? One’s not convinced (7)

21 Go it alone and the sky’s the

limit! (3,4)

22 Embroiled in conflict, some

draw tanks retreating (2,3) 24 Soundly pack timber for this

expensive china (8)

27 Sort of headgear to use when

one is smoking? (9)

28 Problem when Queen leaves,

creating fuss (5)

29 Sailor heads north for lake (4) 30 Does their work make them go

totally up the wall? (10)

DOWN

1 Either way, it’s a careless

mistake (4)

2 Plonk! Put down for discussion

and heard complaint (5,4) 3 Praise former tax cut (5) 4 Pulled, when cross-dressed? (7) 5 Who might waste a lot of time

serving people? (7)

7 Emerge with a pay increase (5) 8 Fine case in which footballers

might be seen? (7,3)

9 Pressure as Balkan approaches unknown man in the street? (6-2)

14 Short delay after call, then fix

old radio (7,3) 16 They’re authorised to certify stuff: not something to do with astrology (8)

18 Terrible income, so finally

choose to save (9)

20 Two females: one employed to

herd cattle (7)

21 Unusually gifted, initially

schoolboy is restless (7)

23 One barking, not loudly, could

be Romeo? (5)

25 Used to be tense, discontented?

Rubbish! (5)

26 Runners touch, with third

(or fourth) moving into first place (4)