CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

15 846

Across

1. Like airline food, modern, fine, insubstantial (2-6) 5. Southern Irish MP stole sheep, drunk (6) 9. Shrub arrived, sort of short lilac (8) 10. English books in Germany primarily on the wane (6) 12. Team showing bias (4) 13. Agree to trap ape running around New Zealand — this one? (10) 15. Farmers dread this central passage in Ibsen (3,3,7) 19. Mean writer, moving slowly, follows New York Police (5-8) 23. Gaol irritated warder — he likes clean sheets (10) 25. Chase snipe, wasting time (4) 28. Crew backing a copper’s judgment (6) 29. Staunchly loyal soprano stopped twice by union (4-4) 30. Firm transports dates by end of May (6) 31. Special doctor put in crazy money to find symptoms (8)

Down

1. What engravers do in zinc is exciting (6) 2. Widely recognised craze absorbs this compile (5) 3. Tim leaves nervously, for no particular reason (4) 4. In hothouse, nearly 8 produce bored expression (5-2) 6. Bone? A piece turned up, one’s gathered (5) 7. Top-class firework (5-4) 8. Among 550, George distributed McGonagall’s work, say (8) 11. Surrounded by morning papers (4) 14. Experimental journalist, heartless guy (4) 15. Toy, trendy one, collected by adult (9) 16. Pale bird heading away (3) 17. Sketch young animals, tail first (4) 18. Colossal Gypsy holds up telescope (8) 20. Plan comes from middleman occasionally (4) 21. Left peer within city limits? Without doubt (7) 22. Sporting lord holds woman’s stick together (6) 24. Bakers do this, working naked (5) 26. He will quickly ring, saying this first? (5) 27. Join United around end of April (4)