GUARDIAN CRYPTIC CROSSWORD NO. 27,888

ACROSS

1 Dating an old tennis

champion’s cool (9) 6 Neighbour displaying a 26 after sun comes out (4) 10 Accommodate going

back and forth (3,2) 11 Roman official for and against Muslim ruler having no function (9) 12 Potentially the cause of most damage inside a restaurant (7) 13 White male husband,

regularly drunk (7) 14 ‘X’ on map might show whereabouts of this diabolical theatre’s curse (8,5) 17 Live with a friend: British female one’s put up at the seaside (5,8) 21 Around one hour in Paris? Sadly, it could fly by (7) 22 Special quality that’s needed by female member of cast (1,6) 24 One holding 26 in small room shows some intellectual capability (5,4) 25 Cut thread ... half of which lost by hesitating? (5) 26 Journalist thrown by boy band not working (4) 27 Withdraw from sun, with its required effect now lost on 26, largely (5,4)

DOWN

1 See way out of folly that’s greed (8) 2 You sell feminist underwear, bottoms only, leading to end of bra? That’s radical (5) 3 An obsession, perhaps, with something found on the French Riviera? (7,7) 4 Like some trousers to appear hot on high priest (7) 5 Experts backing spies’

routine (7) 7 A meal best canned in

tin, say (4,5) 8 Gift books coming under ‘Fiction’ (6) 9 Was unsure about European wearing the French underwear as outer garments sometimes (6-8) 15 Show up with energy Mars Bars produced (9) 16 Extremely large number upset by a new dealer in Cheddar? (8) 18 Unlucky, like chap that’s caught short (7) 19 Jaw about everyone before nine in the morning (7) 20 Bad smell around a wee stunted tree (6) 23 Roots supply

trunk (5)