CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
WIN £500
ACROSS
1 Identical supernatural creature gets into a mess somehow (8) 5 Gallery in gaol designed to house soldier (6) 9 Bill’s seen flounders, losing line in sound (8) 10 Flower’s wild, lacking nitrogen (6) 12 Isle’s residents give crew a kiss (4) 13 Roguish head of college impresses business minister (10) 15 Engineer rescued hero at home in row (8,5) 19 New cocktail of rum and sherry — yes, they induce sleep (7,6) 23 Prance about with gun, beginning to engender contempt (10) 25 Tease topless
relative (4) 28 Country’s banks abandoned former PM (6) 29 Fancy European fraud taking in Italian city briefly (8) 30 Hot spring damaged
eyes in Greece (6) 31 Coin’s copper
core? (8)
DOWN
1 Open this in spell in plant producing oil (6) 2 Fabric’s brand name (5) 3 Lose one’s balance, knocking over lager (4) 4 Woman swallows a laxative initially for fever (7) 6 Cutting from lonicera held in reserve (2,3) 7 Irons perhaps, and where they’re used (4,5) 8 One at meeting at place to use one of 7, about to finish (8) 11 Oxford, say, excelled without coxswain finally (4) 14 Loyal characters regularly avoiding torture (4) 15 Desperately try twice with OAP to find right group (4,5) 16 Former police brought
up dog (3) 17 Greek poet’s last to leave
residence (4) 18 A French ornament
missing a 14 (8) 20 Long endless period (4) 21 Journalist noticed tool (7) 22 Scattered items around
rear of city block (6) 24 Look into, for example,
raising birds (5) 26 Labour group first to avoid digital problem (5) 27 Swimmers complain (4) NEED A CLUE? Text TIP to 65700 to receive FOUR answers to today’s crossword, or call 0901 293 6236. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. Today’s clues available between 00.01 today and 23.30 only. FOR your chance to win, solve the crossword to reveal the word reading down the shaded boxes. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6233 and leave today’s answer and your details, or TEXT 65700 with the word CRYPTIC, your answer and your name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. Or enter by post by sending completed crossword to Daily Mail Prize Crossword 16,294, PO Box 28, Colchester, Essex CO2 8GF. Please include your name and address. One weekly winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Postal entries must be date-stamped no later than the following day to qualify. Calls/texts must be received by 23.59; answers change at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, exc NI. Terms apply, see Page 58.