SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Doing one’s very best to look big? (2,4,7) 8 You deserve it, being old-fashioned and serious (7)

9 The oil-man, in worse shape, is taken to the doctor (7)

11 Hedge, about to split the point (6)

13 The separator, if put back to front, is dangerous (4,4)

15 Eastern communists are guarding the plants (5)

16 The story you’re told has a title (7) 18 Stand a drink, a cocktail of a sort, at first (7)

19 In Germany, you caught us with a girl (5) 21 Plant you’ll get scratched if you tweak? (4-4)

23 On return, I put the pastries outside in the passage (6)

25 Painting, in a dugout, a container (7) 26 Not allowed to go off staggering (7) 28 A jokey description of hair? (8,5)

DOWN

2 Call it, with point, a destructive creature

(7)

3 Articulating the vowels you bring into play (3)

4 Not happy about taking the land beside the hotel (4)

5 What the char earns for keeping the house in order? (4,6)

6 Send off for jellied eel when it’s about time to have coffee (5)

7 A curl of the lip and curt “he’s guilty” (7) 8 Felt skilful (11)

10 Showed the material was taken amiss (11) 12 Doesn’t pull it off, which is a relief (5) 14 Not letting drop the flirtation? (8-2) 17 Overturned, on getting out of bed, the radio (5)

18 Again, feel you can improve your image (7)

20 Does it believe everything it hears about the English weather? (7)

22 Follows one, in the last turn (5)

24 Fills it up for the dog... (4)

27 ...the dog Ed treated properly (3)