CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Team leaders ran games badly (8) 5 Riding pig in advertisement (6) 9 Participant in a class prank

holding back education (7) 10 Smart about Alien scenery (7) 11 Strange lake,

by the sound of it (5)

12 Sound of hogs at home

interrupting blessing (7) 14 Dadaist taking time with last of

tuna fish (5,3)

16 A great violinist toward the

back (6)

18 Small amphibian touching

scientist (6)

20 Main boat drifting

around lake (8)

23 Following blunder engulfing

Nelson Mandela’s party (3,4) 24 Worker’s first step on a ladder

twisted (5)

26 Short story by monarch making

a statement? (7)

27 Cascades peak having wetter

weather (7) 28 Stoop containing “S”

pattern (6)

29 Paired up outside and

ordered (8)

DOWN

1 Plot out Mom’s tenure

in depth (10)

2 Particle nun tore off (7)

3 Avian essential to filming

Rebecca (5)

4 Sensible liar, not a crackpot (8) 6 Intruder, however, can make

tracks in the snow (9)

7 Excited in skating lesson (7) 8 Likes where one lives (4) 10 Vocalize wrong note (4)

13 At risk, stopped bottling up

rage (10)

15 One leaping, being rich (9) 17 Disturbed crab near Australian

city (8)

19 Has trouble choosing brunch

options (7)

21 Eye doctor is in love cult (7) 22 Jam left in machine

part (4)

24 Eccentrically

wired?? (5)

25 Dust off sort of poker (4)

ACROSS

1 Practical and realistic – so

grounded? (4-2-5)

9 Arab in next to no time coming

back (5)

10 Monster wants patriarch and

prophet beheaded (9) 11 Influential France international missed in cup-tie … (7)

12 ... again, but for the last

time? (4,4)

14 See animal go on rampage in

bush (8)

15 What heavy drinker does to

exercise (4)

17 Fouled aplenty? Referee may

award this (7)

19 Man’s one from Paisley (4) 20 Mr Fawlty is king? Here’s

creature with lethal gaze! (8) 21 Her plans unexpectedly

change (8)

23 Honourable in leading

Tories? (7)

25 Protection in flying saucer

orbiting moon ultimately (9) 26 Wild dog making noise

disappear (5)

27 Make difference Canute

couldn’t? (4,3,4)

DOWN

2 Round container Crusoe finally

dropped in sea (5)

3 Excellent surgeon in northeast

shows innocence (7) 4 Construction you once put in

river (8)

5 Stands for election

in Brunswick (4)

6 Swineherd always seen in

celebration? (8) 7 Brave daughter having lost

certain female relatives? (9) 8 Bill to announce opera (7,4) 12 Not to be approached – like

exhausted kangaroo? (3,2,6) 13 Dreadful Ms Baker joins ship (7) 16 See sprain affected winger (9) 17 Linguist in college once moved

across lake (8)

18 Complete from beginning to

end, concealing nothing (8) 19 Fix where your setter admits to

espionage? (7)

22 Classic film festival admits

50, approximately (2,3)

24 Audible drop in level (4)