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 16,827, 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 54.

ACROSS

1 Test her early after surgery here in London? (6,6) 8 Vehicle carries medic

in charge of linen (7) 9 Bowl thus, very short, getting a rare maiden after duck (7) 11 Action here not far

into part of meal (10) 12 King Edward’s first to enter fourth capital (4) 14 English genius busy keeping constant way to improve races (8) 16 Excellent big NFL game doesn’t use flyer at night (6) 17 Scrape throne,

avoiding odd parts (3) 19 Detective in base is central figure in row (6) 21 Pest lives in shade (8) 24 Banker ending in 11 (4) 25 After work, I get in mood promptly (2,4,4) 27 Post broadcast by

this paper (7) 28 They steer

arable farmers (7) 29 Doctor hated women’s complete authority to dispatch (5,7)

DOWN

1 Port, meat and food in

general brought up (7) 2 Hope resident, game girl, meets new Scotsman (10) 3 Intrude, or chance

being crushed (8) 4 One’s other half uses

rocks crossing river (6) 5 Different kings held eastern English in bad odour (4) 6 Hard to find quartet in

European vessel (7) 7 Cold drink breaks

America’s code (3-5,4) 10 Lamb’s feet cooked over eggs for Easter, maybe (7,5) 13 A quadrille’s awkward without right Spanish dish (10) 15 Child’s tune

doesn’t end (3) 18 Regret looking up old hero’s submarine service (8) 20 Have a right to leave briefly at a quarter past five (7) 22 Dress in a top, the

greenest one (7) 23 Cool depression crossing France causes rising tide? (6) 26 Tense Irishman

hides spades (4)