CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Parvenu puts off painting perhaps (7) 5 Crawlers and top people welcome monarch (6) 9 Exceptional ring found in ruined chapel (7) 10 Redwood a sine qua non? Sadly, numbers have dropped off (7) 11 Observe southern Europeans (3) 12 Hoax pilot admitting one depression with conviction (11) 13 Rank new material (5) 14 Cold person takes in husband after Roman Catholic cleric (9) 16 Cook chopped meat, keeping a note for authority (9) 17 Relative beginning to enjoy being in French resort (5) 19 Language of comic actor if touring continent (4-7) 22 Support varied occasionally (3) 23 News about entertaining old soldier (7) 24 Examine superior party protection for old warriors (7) 26 Earl bumps into returning judge (6) 27 US star that saved RAF lives in WWII (3,4)

DOWN

1 Implement iTunes somehow on laptop (7) 2 Suspect Morris asked Ron about Mike’s deception (5,3,7) 3 Remains when hot (3) 4 Part of foot — a long claw (5) 5 I’ve sublet rebuilt antechamber (9) 6 Annoy Brazilian racing driver short of time (5) 7 About 20°C, more mature port goes bad, absorbing energy (4,11) 8 Fruit almost covers top of yew tree (6) 12 Priest’s a big gun, by the sound of it (5) 14 Adjust margin etc a little bit (9) 15 It’s pointed, like religious painting I abandoned (5) 16 Lack soil under first of dahlias (6) 18 Last demo organised involving new road (7) 20 Generous representative’s first to go (5) 21 Carry money — some societies revere it (5) 25 Short fat woman (3)

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 16272, 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 72.