SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 What you pay to get courtesy? (13)

8 The gilt buckles, time and again, when turned, sparkle (7)

9 Doesn’t go off directly after the strike, one sees (7)

11 Beginning with the gear I put on outside (6) 13 Like the scent that roses, from far off, give one (8)

15 On return to Nice, I dropped out for the time being (5)

16 Treated badly and made to work when offcolour? (3-4)

18 Promises to drop a pal at the borders (7)

19 A nut cake half hidden in the fold (5)

21 Top gear, to the garage mechanic! (8) 23 A female bear, we’re told (6)

25 In the latter half, the bumpkin is even more stupid (7)

26 The first one (the fool) I give a pound to (7) 28 ‘Eke’? (3-3,7)

DOWN

2 In my view, ‘owing’ could be a clue for it (7) 3 Ready to go down (3) 4 She’s standing on a perch (4)

5 Don’t think so highly of, anyway (10)

6 Sound made by instruments that want to go off key? (5)

7 Taking the ring road daily into a green zone

(7)

8 Crushed ice? (6,5) 10 Stand up fast and you won’t have it! (3-4,4) 12 She answers for the Frenchman when asked, ‘Who’s there?’ (5)

14 How oddly one is lacking in duplicity? (10) 17 Back copies I got in colour (5)

18 After which the critic writes a one-page notice? (7)

20 Hearty! (7)

22 Since the gardens are to one side (5)

24 First left on top of the table (4)

27 To one’s annoyance, the top is torn off the telegram (3)

Friday’s solutions:

Across: 1 Momentous. 8 Harrier. 9 Resumes. 10 Tangoes. 13 Hoarders. 14 Pops. 16 Dress sense. 20 Lead. 22 Tern. 24 Mind-reader. 28 Item. 29 Garrison. 31 Tellers. 34 Top-soil. 35 Respite. 36 Redressed.

Down: 1 Marched. 2 Mistake. 3 Nomad. 4 Observe. 5 Shot. 6 Drag. 7 Wrested. 11 Appear. 12 Ouse. 15 Plea. 17 Roe. 18 Sent. 19 Summer. 21 Ace. 22 Totters. 23 Rill. 25 Drafted. 26 Despots. 27 Rankled. 30 Rupee. 32 Lope. 33 Seer.