CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Did old Bob need a close

one? (5)

6 Not quite an ear to the

ground? (5)

9 Nominally, an ant doesn’t

get all the bees’ produce (7) 10 It’s lovely to have a baby,

perhaps (5)

11 Nice people, one possibly

reads (5)

12 He sang badly, out of turn

(5)

13 Denies having demented

trances (7)

15 Having a bit of an impediment, not strong (3)

17 His E-mail, it seems, has a

letter missing (4)

18 Maybe feeling no end catty!

(6)

19 Frenzied offer by an artist

(5)

20 Joins or misguidedly unties

(6)

22 Just visible in summer,

especially (4)

24 Accurately quoted on the

first of September, I see (3) 25 Emperor who had to break

off with the Americans? (7) 26 They provide security when an officer is imprisoned by soldiers (5)

27 Slave in a hotel, maybe (5) 28 It can mean anything or

nothing (5)

29 Angels in retreat? (7) 30 Name a lyric composer (5) 31 One showing villainy by getting round dad somehow (5)

DOWN

2 Left in the ladies’ quarters, somewhere in New York (6) 3 Destroyer of a London museum and rail terminus (6) 4 Finish in seven days (3) 5 Barking is bad for them (5) 6 Put up with Ned possibly

being terribly rude (7) 7 They’re of one accord (4) 8 Did Dick turn out to be awfully good? (6)

12 A salt shaker you could buy

in a bookshop (5)

13 Uncle’s red-headed birds (5) 14 Like pride of place? (5)

15 An aquatic performer of

some diversity (5)

16 Old people like me, boy! (5) 18 Figures in a ball game (5) 19 Funny article, usually of a

musical nature (7)

21 By no means in a bad way

(6)

22 Did she give her viewers a

stony look? (6)

23 Hurried ahead, being unreasonably rude about the hush (6)

25 Unwisely takes a bet (5) 26 Desert area of quaking bog

near the capital of India (4) 28 The round part of a doorbell (3)