CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

26/11

ACROSS

1. Pieces for making up number with young creature (6)

4. Spread of sail is what a boat may win by (6)

9. Fish shot by submariner (7)

10. Do some kidding with cut hay and straw (5)

11. She led leaders away to follow a warning (4)

12. Soundly start race for it to make pudding (4)

13. One who drinks thus comes to end of the claret (3)

15. To knock it back with a half in specific gravity (4)

16. Being feeble, you and I take on no outsiders (4)

19. Get ready to fight host losing the rear (3)

21. A bit of it will come away (4)

22. Material one rubbed between finger and thumb (4)

24. Gentleman such as Giovanni took me back in, the fiend (5)

25. Shiny coat will disappear around end of Winter (7)

26. Showed one agreed one was dropping off (6)

27. Old coaches one puts on in the theatre (6)

DOWN

1. Cook may go to bed here, after Herb (7,6)

2. Thanks to the Right, obtains things for people to aim at (7)

3. Being more recent without having begun, it will hold water (4)

5. Was held to bed, being afloat (8)

6. Small bottles also not finished beyond six (5)

7. They produce lights for feast chest may be broken (6,7)

8. Resin varnish produced with carbon on stone (5)

14. Need sips of it to do as pharmacist does (8)

17. Being behind the wicket, a barrel may hold a sort of pine (7)

18. Serious way to clean and pay (5)

20. Acted, though one didn’t have a speaking part (5)

23. Bustle about with the old woman (4)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 1. Monument 7. Curve 8. Carving 9. Grouped 10. Ebon

12. Denuded 14. Coyness 17. Zero 18. Canteen 21. Granted

22. Limit 23. Censored

Down: 1. Mocked 2. Narrowly 3. Main 4. Nagged 5. Crop

6. Weeded 7. Crowned 11. Prevent 13. Director 14. Cockle

15. Single 16. Sordid 19. Name 20. Bass