The Herald crosswords

ACROSS

1 Bother about old Premier which looks after people (4,4) 5 Nick Whistler shows impudence in retreat (6)

9 Artist takes first million roles to create fortifications (8)

10 Girl has an income, both pointlessly? (6)

11 Turning a list into new form (8) 12 So slim, perhaps, and supple (6)

14 Highly cultivated feature of modern city (4,6)

18 We set out to spoil teams with delicacies (10)

22 Means business (6)

23 He earns a living from dirty pictures, so to speak (8) 24 Popular party or type of sport (6)

25 The most important guy on board (8)

26 Curiosity might make one tarry (6)

27 Kiss Pole wildly where people are on a slippery path (3,5)

DOWN

1 Copper, army and engineers find poison (6)

2 Distant meteor shower (6) 3 Club man with skills (6) 4 Encountered the man with some trouble - they keep the beat (10)

6 Press one to state it’s paradoxical (8)

7 Record turnover? (4,4)

8 Behind China preparing for fresh conflict (8)

13 Scored a run, but was wide of target (3,3,4)

15 It makes pears lie against the wall, for instance (8)

16 Back and put off around climax (8)

17 Protrude with cane dismissed (5,3)

19 More than one rock group (6) 20 Around the end of December, reached Santa’s base (6) 21 Regal characters convene around unknown part of Scotland (6)

ACROSS

7 (Of pasta) firm, but not hard (2,5)

9 Alcoves (5)

10 One of Louisa May Alcott's 'Little

Women' (3)

11 Garden chairs (9)

12 Bride's property as a marriage gift (5) 14 Footrests (7)

16 Actor's assistant (7)

18 ___ Minogue, Aussie singer (5)

19 Sauna, for example (4-5) 20 Which person? (3) 21 Impale (5)

22 Put up with (7)

DOWN

1 Pillaged (8)

2 June 6, 1944 landings (1-3) 3 Workplace site of recently arrived mail (2-4)

4 ___ of, as a substitute for (2,4)

5 Mighty (8)

6 Makes requests (4)

8 Prisoner's means of getaway (6,5) 13 Sumo fighter, eg (8)

15 Bodybuilding drugs (8)

17 Object shaped like a ball (6) 18 Squeezes, presses (dough) (6) 19 Luxuriate, wallow (in) (4) 20 Employment (4)