CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Unqualified bird sound (5) 8 and 19 Down: They take a turn for the better (8,6)

9 A lighthouse casts it across the vessel (5)

10 Dog Latin as a composition (8)

11 Cheers up with fringe benefits (5)

12 Consumed tea after stirring (3)

16 Highly decorated lid for a new dish (6)

17 Found out the new rental (6)

18 Reputedly wise light sleeper (3)

23 A game that calls for silence (5)

24 Mummy would soon go to pieces were it not for him! (8)

25 Tolerate resistance (5)

26 Stumbling upon clue for ‘disconnect’ (8) 27 It propels a ship’s complement heading south (5)

DOWN

2 It’s always used up when needed (8)

3 Nuts go well with cheese (8)

4 Odd assortment of biblical characters (3,3) 5 Empty vault (5)

6 Take off - it’s also used for landing (5) 7 Look around in the river (5)

12 Spot of bother in the head office (3) 13 A well-cut length of cloth? (3)

14 It’s pitiful when dad gets the twitch (8) 15 Could be nine seas in tumult (2,1,5)

19 See 8 Across

20 Rolled up for the opening (5)

21 Surprised a defender (5)

22 A fine meal (5)