CROSSWORD

CLUES No. 988

ACROSS:

1. An undertaking or assurance given by one person to another. (7) 5. Clever, witty, or readily effective. (5) 8. To allow to enter; grant or afford entrance to. (5) 9. Cover or shield from injury or danger. (7) 10. Inexpensive supervised lodgings. (7) 11. Cuddly Australian bear. (5) 12. A strongly fortified, permanently garrisoned stronghold. (6) 14. Popular local liquor. (6) 17. An excuse to escape blame. (5) 19. Lifted morale, encouraged. (7) 22. Legless, soft-bodied, wormlike larvae of any of various flies. (7) 23. Popular hot beverage. (5) 24. Is especially fond of. (5) 25. Most forbidding. (7)

DOWN:

1. To catch game illegally by trespassing on private property. (5) 2. The diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. (7) 3. Fibre obtained from various tropical trees, used in making carpets. (5) 4. Make known, reveal. (6) 5. Monumental blunder by a cricket umpire with the wrong decision perhaps. (7) 6. Central stage, ring, used for sports or other forms of entertainment. (5) 7. Songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country. (7) 12. Delighted, enchanted or fascinated. (7) 13. Australian mound bird; incubates eggs naturally in sandy mounds. (7) 15. Newspaper story. (7) 16. Subjected to improper, incorrect, or excessive use. (6) 18. Mass of metal cast in a convenient form for shaping, re-melting, or refining. (5) 20. Coveted award in the movie industry. (5) 21. Passed out the cards. (5)