The Herald crosswords
ACROSS
5 Caught in drug lie, rehabilitator is less attractive (6)
7 Sneaky and coy about
drink with officer (8)
9 Older relative of retreating
soldiers to carry (8)
10 Subdue fellow in steps (6) 11 Going easily, yet having trouble on flat ground (5,7)
13 Target popular wine (6)
15 Nun is shady abandoning
home (6)
18 Insights from awfully unfit
periods (12)
21 Second-rate agent
American turned great (6) 22 Soundness from limb boxer starts to teach youth (8)
23 Horribly ill, mangy
stray (8)
24 Some star teetotal (6)
DOWN
1 Arranged fee limit for vital
period (8)
2 Types of soldiers involved in
plots (6)
3 Creatures, insects around
wine (8)
4 Female working without leader
is going fast (6)
6 Good writer of children's books
showing hostility (8)
7 Dirty route, one covered in turf (6) 8 Hamish's opening worn-out
clasp (4)
12 Rat disturbed rest amongst
hoofed animals (8)
14 Sound covering heart of frog
with doctor's instrument (8)
16 Making clear home for animal
on heather (8)
17 Wicked man pinching piglets
regularly (6)
18 Lean to catch small rising bird (6) 19 Consider excavation with
spades in outskirts of Egypt (6) 20 Fish aunt cooked (4)
ACROSS
1 Spice that goes well with
egg custards (6)
4 Small shellfish inside a
hard black shell (6)
9 Striking artistic
grouping (7)
10 Legal documents (5)
11 Provide, supply (3,2)
12 Shorten (7)
13 Frostily (5)
15 Chart (5)
20 Gives up work
permanently (7)
22 More enjoyable (5)
24 Remove hair with a
razor (5)
25 Unfair treatment (3,4)
26 Stop (6)
27 Particles of snow (6)
DOWN
1 Stinging weed (6)
2 Brown stripy cat (5)
3 Never-ending (7)
5 Opposite of 'over' (5) 6 Expedite (5,2)
7 Defeats (6)
8 ___ being, person (5)
14 Pirate sword (7)
16 Update (of a licence, eg) (7)
17 Obliterated (6)
18 Take over control of (5)
19 Embellishments (6)
21 Undersea formations (5)
23 Noise, as of an unoiled hinge (5)