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 16,386, 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 62.

ACROSS

1 Country lover’s group hired by Irishman (7) 5 Most recent U.S. city trial (6) 9 Leaf primarily developed daily across front of pond (4,3) 10 Former Portuguese colony hosts little river ape (7) 11 Doctor protects a space (3) 12 One spots new stars — latest count is wrong (6,5) 13 Child’s complaint is universal during harvest (5) 14 Sailor’s job, scorching around western third of Africa (9) 16 Find empty lorry? That’s weird (9) 17 Grain spotted initially among small stones (5) 19 Ramshackle hut in Oslo they rebuilt as cheap lodging (5,6) 22 Names impress posh sister (3) 23 Half of bikers backed objections voiced in Israeli farm (7) 24 More miserly treasurer hides eight crackers (7) 26 Quaker cooked to entertain knight (6) 27 Well developed, as are broad figures (7)

DOWN

1 Swimming plaice ingest gallons of ocean (7) 2 Ring this huge figure (9,6) 3 Brat is more precocious at first (3) 4 Sort of wave — it flipped boy surfacing (5) 5 Famous English garden designed within lovely borders (9) 6 Conditions of heating units hospital abandoned (5) 7 Shift position and feel cocky (4-11) 8 Disorderly artillerymen joke around first of tanks (6) 12 Sailor’s taken over gym to get thinner (5) 14 Son mooched nervously around entrance to zoo and chatted (9) 15 Sponsor a new set (5) 16 Free instrument inspires National Youth Orchestra (6) 18 Given permanent post in U.S., European turned bolshie (7) 20 Home Office exploit royal family (5) 21 Inferior alcohol, not good, upset teacher (5) 25 Leading trio of ungulates head north — or just one of them (3)

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.