SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 A very excitable old girl? (7)

5 Find one lodgings in the region (7)

9 Stop being so green! (5)

10 Veronica would make a good sprinter (9) 11 Greet, when returning the instrument (6) 12 They seem surprised by the horsd’oeuvres (8)

14 Not missing any whatsoever (2,3)

15 Don’t blame one, on meeting a rat in the river (9)

18 Not bothered when one didn’t go away under escort (4,5)

20 Surname that every man has? (5) 22 Advances from the profits (8)

24 The shrub at the top end does clinch it (6)

26 Get stale, though clear, water (9)

27 She was brought back at an early age (5) 28 Guaranteed to be last, but certain to enter (7)

29 Becomes more popular with, as it continues to get bigger (5,2)

DOWN

1 Beat one to it, getting the front seat (9) 2 It’s all up, mum! Put back the bottle! (7) 3 Father comes upon the boy and girl having a smoke (9)

4 It’s a plant and you step on it (4)

5 He asks if, in “search,” I have one R (10) 6 Is he making an extension for the zoo exhibit? (5)

7 She sat about herein (7)

8 What the car does if you push it (5)

13 The old time gets applause (6-4)

16 “Not off on a spree getting drunk” in another language (9)

17 I try hard to say it’s a result of too much reading (3-6)

19 They run and the bees are after them (7) 21 Asks if injecting it into the vein’s wrong (7)

22 The writing of a gentlewoman (5) 23 Register that the net is tangled up again (5)

25 Points to the silver catch (4)