SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 One has to be quick to keep one’s title (4,4)

5 Floods making one head into the ship (6) 10 Blown off in a film (4,4,3,4)

11 Incline to take a man on a shoot (7)

12 Isn’t forced to be such a fool (7)

13 Out of puff (8)

15 It’s not fashionable to be seen in silk voile (5)

18 Lacking energy to get dressed (5)

20 Son is spy out to get a general view (8) 23 In the end a character shows cunning (7) 25 Serious as a Sterne novel can be (7) 26 In Hull see lawmen drunk as an old lord (7,8)

27 Tender, relatively speaking (6) 28 Suggested the money-making player sat for a portrait (8)

Yesterday’s solutions: Across: Down: DOWN

1 A member took in the messenger (6)

2 In France I could be a banker, perhaps (9) 3 Drove the prisoner, now a broken reed (7) 4 John’s not backing the Spanish head (5) 6 Continued the journey, say, from town (7) 7 The City Examiner (5)

8 Preparing to mount (8)

9 Tolerate wrongdoing when one acts as deputy (6,2)

14 See about a flower in the wind (8) 16 Quiet – not so much row at the front (9) 17 Reinforces attacks made over the marshlands (8)

19 In off-side position, one may argue (7) 21 Norm cut the vegetable (7)

22 Pen was over-fashioned (6)

24 Comes close to distracting saner characters (5)

25 It may put you out to find the Queen outside (5)

- 1 Tug-of-war. 5 Stolid. 9 Come over. 10 Moulds. 12 Loofah. 13 Blooming. 15 Person of note. 18 Over one’s head. 23 Lets slip. 24 Scarce. 26 Poetry. 27 To be sure. 28 Easter. 29 Mattress.

- 1 Tickle. 2 Gambol. 3 Footage. 4 Apex. 6 Took off. 7 Lollipop. 8 Designed. 11 Blanche. 14 Ascetic. 16 Collapse. 17 Restless. 19 Observe. 20 Ancient. 21 Grouse. 22 Levels. 25 Lola.

Find the phrase, saying or name in this arrrangement of letters

A MAN, A PLAN, DOWN ONE

“You never mention your colleagues,” I said to my friend the English professor. “Do any of them have interesting specialties?” “We have an authority on palindromes,” the prof said: “Dr. Awkward.”

Today’s declarer found the play at his slam awkward. He put up dummy’s king of clubs, and East won and returned a club. South threw a diamond and took the queen. South next cashed the A-K of diamonds and ruffed a diamond high. He led a spade to his king and ruffed his last diamond high. He had no more side losers, but it did him no good: When he led a trump to his ace, West discarded, and East got a trump trick.

Able Was I

“Able was I ere I saw Elba,” the prof muttered at South, “and ere I saw you play the dummy.”

South can lead a trump to his ace at Trick Three. When West shows out, South continues thus: A-K of diamonds, K-A of spades, spade ruff, diamond ruff high, club ruff, diamond ruff high. He wins the last two tricks with high trumps.

Daily Question

A852 Q 10 5 3 65 ♣K Q 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart, he bids two clubs and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three diamonds. What do you say?

Your partner suggests six diamonds, four clubs and extra strength. With a minimum 6-4 hand, he would have rebid two diamonds. Bid three spades, showing something in spades but doubt about notrump. If partner has 3, K 6, A Q J 10 7 4, A J 9 4, five diamonds will be best.

ANSWER: South dealer N-S vulnerable