CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Discovery holiday by river,

falling in however (12) 9 Someone who may act weird

and not even dance (7) 10 Funny-looking African native, one that’s good and strong, tracking duck (7)

11 Short sight (7)

12 Act badly, giving order in

pizzeria? (3,2,2)

13 High-flier’s dog with no lead (5) 14 Job with Ezra, perhaps, entertaining gospel reader’s friends? (9)

16 Deck’s wet – I crumpled – most

shameful (9)

19 Gosh! US soldier is royal

companion? (5)

21 Person at a symphony clutching

pieces of music (7)

23 Smart Alec from Spain picked

up one’s tense (7)

24 Carry out injured fencer to be

given oxygen (7)

25 Worker that’s painting, say, in

enthralling South America (7) 26 Publicist issues this request to

gatekeeper? (5,7)

DOWN

1 Black on top, not soft, dessert

shows potential (7)

2 Help Max Ernst to hold up

illustration (7)

3 Lethal drone that’s flown over

America? (6,3)

4 Liquor reportedly which

person’s taken to church (5) 5 Best to be tight-lipped after pot

I smashed (7)

6 Brilliance in golf shown by little

swine! (7) 7 Challenge to make English shingle or German manger? (67)

8 Silly posh idiot first to oppress

worker, one in sales (4,9) 15 Promptly bellow when getting

hammered here? (2,3,4) 17 One’s usually needled when

neighbours go bare (7) 18 Blackmails using rearranged

letters, or texts (7) 19 Occasionally viewed in car, local

tribal country (7)

20 Is charge to follow concerning

second publication? (7) 22 Buffalo drive (5)