CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Number on University Challenge team notice one’s slept in (4-6)

6 Long gradient with no parking (4)

9 Patriarch’s account in prophetic book (5)

10 Affection’s gone west – moving out in progress (9)

12 The French bird over country seeing all the wildlife (6,7)

14 One questioning what’s in mailbag – no stickers? (8)

15 Long dull passage covered in loose rock, apparently (6)

17 Modern work – revolutionary work with character (3,3)

19 Propeller engineer carries west (8)

21 One starts a speech that another puts a stop to (9,4)

24 I had to restrain rattier drunk becoming angry (9)

25 Playwright in limbo, seeing odd characters cut (5)

26 Part or whole read aloud (4)

27 Biscuit trademark with flower rejected (6,4)

DOWN

1 Juliet visiting France, Italy, India and another country (4)

2 Row after meeting of countries leads to release (7)

3 Bar very piercing clarinets, playing as one in the town hall? (6,7)

4 Film outline in which arsenic wrecked love (8)

5 Something for the mind that’s offered in a tablet? (1-4)

7 Twirl in tango with violin, losing head (7)

8 Cast-off worker sad

to receive note (4-2-4)

11 In clues, yearns to be funny, superfluously (13)

13 Moist sea creatures British caught, not Germany – they won’t go off (4,6)

16 Leo, maybe journalist, definitely not up to be recruited (6,2)

18 Computer aid for good memory (7)

20 Revolutionise karaoke to collect rising gains (5,2)

22 Bury theatrical writer misses opening (5)

23 Bargain brooches sent to the north (4)