30-MINUTE CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Pay for being the least important performer? (4,3,4) 9 A bit of a near thing despite

dexterity (3) 10 Ruler sends out poet at

ten (9) 11 Having well-stocked

branches, perhaps (5) 13 Detains as substitute (7) 14 Child who pinches? (6) 16 In June, ventriloquists find

things rough (6) 18 16 roughly is about right to

weaken resolve (7) 19 Mistake almost brings great

fear (5) 20 Do credit to memo with

musical embellishment (5,4) 21 Not the right thing to do for a

half-cousin (3) 22 When checking one’s watch is something of an ordeal? (7-4)

DOWN

2 No longer confined, leave

with set (3) 3 Drunk with gratuities given

to youth leader (5) 4 It has point against going

bare-headed (6) 5 It’s a blessing only one nib’s

broken (7) 6 Put off because holiday has

finished? (5,4) 7 Do well-spoken people

avoid it? (3,8) 8 The band that turns a miss

into a hit? (7-4) 12 An accompaniment of a

deep pang (9) 15 Ardent enough to gain

entitlement to set out (7) 17 The semi-barren are the

possessors of fame (6) 19 Build straight up (5) 21 Paradoxically it could involve

subtraction (3)