CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1. Rank girl with one fellow

within city limits (8)

5. Excellent clue to start of

puzzle (6)

9. Greek character’s hiring Irish out for dodgy net practice (8)

10. Steal the Spanish coin (6) 12. Contest doesn’t finish level

(4)

13. One dresses team working

with two sons (10)

15. Crudely copy ad with licence that’s fully comprehensive (13)

19. I study bird caught in U.S. gardens making passes? (8,5)

23. What may produce ‘qwerty’ tripe, without question? (10)

25. Shells, or first half of a

very old shell (4)

28. Regretted enlisting one

new bankrupt (6)

29. A foreign student’s terri

ble, breaking rules (8)

30. Records some plants

university’s thrown out (6) 31. Evaluate a 2p increase (8)

Down

1. Police officer’s mettle, by

the sound of it (6)

2. Partly organised plant

used in cooking (5)

3. Note old London area (4) 4. Cool old Greek picked up

nut (7)

6. Dialect is described in old

manuscripts originally (5) 7. Cleverly site a desk to indicate one’s preferred group (4,5)

8. Jumper, large one, with blemish on the outside (4,4)

11. Data needs reinforcing to

some extent (4)

14. Perhaps Aberdonian

drunkard tours clubs (4) 15. Former English politician, one in fashion, obtains immunity (9)

16. Secular song (3)

17. Hair arrangement caught

up in extractor fan (4)

18. Area of Oz station (8)

20. Follow story on radio (4) 21. Win a lot that’s spare in

contest (5,2)

22. Miner briefly becomes

shepherd’s helper (6)

24. Push with back of foot (5) 26. Greek character fit to

work in civvies (5)

27. Just one impressed by

fliers turned up (4)