CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 2.

Something for Highlander to toss in a brace of shakes (5)

Light conversation with Tom from France (4)

One who works when others are out to cover his hurt (4)

Wet earth first deposited on fish is causing confusion (8)

Availability for service PLO’s said to be upset about (8)

Run off with length of cloth from the blue unexpectedly (4)

It fell to bits when sergeant did it wrong (13)

Test success, as seen in afterthought (4)

Legal writings one may be gifted with (8)

Endemic one treats with physic (8)

The floor was raised as I’d worked on it (4)

Astounding way to behave: most unusual to include it (4)

Those attending match with England finally got confined (5)

5.

7.

8.

9.

11.

12.

15.

17.

19.

21.

22.

23. DOWN 1.

Composer who gave up trophy – nice, bottomless one anyhow (7)

For the most part, 7 may ply for hire (3)

Runs into a race for university boats (5)

Keep it flying in song preceding early locomotion (3,4)

Mountain pass achieved by computer-oriented language (3)

A loss shown by the yearbook will reduce it to nothing (5)

Over-moral people right to be among the bores, we hear (5)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

10.

Slow down for the thicket (5) Getting rid of rubbish is encouraged by those on the tronc (7)

Went wrong in the East, so wind it up (7)

Very foreshortened at the outside, one may yet prevent it (5)

Sports item is perhaps the flat on 4th September (5)

Charged particle one might pass first with heat (3)

Conned one either way up (3)

11. 13.

14.

16.

18.

20.

21.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION: Across

1. Aristocratic 8. Insolent 9. Doom 11. Carve 12. Thimble 13. Muff 15. Left 19. Turbine 20. Order 22. Need 23. Escalate 24. Entertaining

2. Riser 3. Silver 4. Ornate 5. Trouble 6. Commentaries 7. Circumstance 10. Gin 14. Ferment 16. Fix 17. Persia 18. Domain 21. Drawn

Down