DAILY BRAIN TEASERS

Across

1 Daffy bird? (6)

4 Eurasian city, Byzantium’s capital embraced by sultan, I gathered (8)

9 Religious teachings, plain coarse (6)

10 Star reading different script, ultimately (3,5)

12 Friend friendly, though not at first (4) 13 Question cook (5) 14 Queen in Italian necklace (4) 17 Author, William the Conqueror’s postman? (6,6)

20 Runs 101-200? One is the best! (6,2,4)

23 One’s inclined to use force and power (4)

24 Made of metal, little boxes never for opening (5) 25 Kerfuffle in prison (4) 28 Plant where flowers grow, perfect in recess (8)

29 Two nil in cup, leaders in luck eventually (6)

30 Liberal or Attlee to put up with (8)

31 Artist – neither winner nor loser? (6)

Down

1 Death in short, a terrible sin (8) 2 They’ll fix up pumps and platforms – with mules? (8) 3 Greasy ornamental mat, top wiped (4) 5 Engrossing period obligatory (12) 6 Mythical ship moving slowly, heading off (4) 7 Clever article in the main (6) 8 Bits of rubbish, little ones? (6) 11 Jumper is important when shivering around end of April (12) 15 African carrier has me in a state (5) 16 Devil in protest, ending in heaven (5) 18 Boxer getting up to wash potty (8) 19 Doubly hard part of corn, I agree! (4,4) 21 Horror film’s beginning satisfactorily (6) 22 Test before noon is not ethical (6) 26 Raise tail (4) 27 Swine – dull person, it’s said? (4)