CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Old parish priest is wearing French frills like a dandy (7) 5 Crikey! A student’s brought in protective footwear (6) 9 Liar managed on line to trap victor in competition (7) 10 Letter good person kept in English stately home (7) 11 Conflict’s bitter

after reversal (3) 12 Data storage unit once

beat Jack perhaps (7,4) 13 Yankees collect old

very big playthings (2-3) 14 Uni student stops applauding regular event for women (9) 16 Grinding gears tend to

become separated (9) 17 Big Apple mayors do

this, not firm (5) 19 What happens in Coop makes very little money (7,4) 22 Possess feathers, dropping 500 from top (3) 23 Good skills control reasonable racing vehicles (2-5) 24 Bright American doctor’s brought in fast (7) 26 It’s more idiotic or madder to avoid society (6) 27 Can use a keyboard to

produce old picture (7)

DOWN

1 Remote old physicist swaps diamonds for whiskey (7) 2 Poor stupid Ricky overspent touring Thailand (7-8) 3 The Italian left

feeling unwell (3) 4 Amazingly handy

barman? (5) 5 It could be dry enough for animal chasing hare (9) 6 Landowner’s den at the back of beyond (5) 7 Tom indicates you must be trained for TV show (9,6) 8 Dull impasse

without end (6) 12 Italian course,

tense one (5) 14 One who arranges ring next to other ear-rings (9) 15 Bitter, very dry,

cold inside (5) 16 Confine, say, rash

tipping (6) 18 Zane Grey worked around Texas initially, not on river (7) 20 Algerian city following king’s holy book (5) 21 Send up story about Charlie’s brilliant display (5) 25 Chief dispenses with

international crew (3)