CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
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 16,701, 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 datestamped 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 64.
ACROSS
1 Fool’s success hiding bad flaw (7) 5 One goes in to drive away carriage (6) 9 Staff control a scheme that’s designed for traffic (7) 10 A cat managed to break fine English biscuit (7) 11 Second person upended buoy with top missing (3) 12 Perhaps Wensleydale clergy’s thin material (11) 13 Concert includes European introduction (5) 14 Eccentric Belgian guards area very suitable for boats (9) 16 Not as quick going round a French fellow’s plant (9) 17 Frequently one arranged to collect paper (5) 19 One born in February maybe keeps tin stove for collector (11) 22 People used to protect
unit in Romania (3) 23 Head off chaos at a party that’s sort of green (7) 24 Cabbage’s OK cooked
with a chip (3,4) 26 Book three’s in need
of editing (6) 27 Highest-ranking card (Hearts) secures one victory (7)
DOWN
1 Be quick! Hot spicy food’s beginning to go off at university (5,2) 2 Wasted ages out of line with an old peace grouping (6,2,7) 3 It’s amazing, with or
without starters (3) 4 Herb’s note about
short hymn (5) 5 Angry about combination of music styles (9) 6 Old American street directory etc shredded (5) 7 Lily, a leading light at
Christmas once (4-2-9) 8 IT expert breaks
the ice (6) 12 Desert conveyor arrived at end of trail (5) 14 Blair’s term a version of
‘War on Blue’? (3,6) 15 Painful sound from old
old lady outside (5) 16 Main route, for example, covers east and west at first (6) 18 Adjusted hours in
producing feed (7) 20 Cancel game having
lost leader (5) 21 Popular place for
computer data (5) 25 Chap cooked with this
fish, creating 24 (3)