CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1. A special gift that could be latent (6) 4. Hawks at it on floor of bar? (8)

9. Have ambitions to spare one like this (6)

10. Loses all hope of putting one right in spades perhaps (8)

12. Pasta, and the gaps it fills? (9)

13. A year’s entry made by a girl at fifty (5)

14. Polite side in court case in which ARP was involved (5,7)

18. Stalinism, say, might do artistic HP version of it (12)

21. Abraham’s son is a chap in the RAF (5)

22. An incisor, bit of which is palatable (9)

24. Sound in doctrine as the Greek church is (8)

25. Castor and Pollux put a jewel in one… (6)

26. … jewel used for mast they constructed (8)

27. Old woman with broken leg will try to get the price down (6)

Down

1. Will cut across the cart sent out for it (8)

2. One will be hand to mouth, using an ointment such as this (3,5)

3. Direction taken by an 18th century PM (5)

5. A special liking for the French in one’s forecast (12)

6. He’ll heel-and-toe the music on the floor (3-6)

7. There’s nothing one can rent out in the East (6)

8. Settle comfortably, as Len set out to do (6)

11. Acts of bearing witness at depot in State perhaps (12)

15. Colin may be loth to wear only this

(9)

16. Is making a film of the gun incident (8)

17. A desire expressed by the inner man? (8)

19. MO aims to provide one with yellow flowers (6)

20. The rook is first seen in the corner (6) 23. Any high explosive can be used to get this animal (5)