CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Girl’s quite entitled, but she can still be eliminated (12) 8 Praise up some before the next Old Firm game (5) 9 Plain page could turn out to be quite attractive (9) 11 May soon appear in a small part (2,1,3) 12 Get rid of a plane, giving it back to a boy (8) 14 Leave hospital to get out-patient treatment later on (10) 15 Mark (or Cliff ) came second. About right in the end (4) 18 Once you came back, taking two days, from a small whirlpool (4) 19 Gets up to work on the land, but come to a complete stop (10) 21 Sets a limit over promises to pay. It’s quite extensive (8) 23 Sailor transferred to another ship so couldn’t be there (6) 25 Then reads up on those who used to look after the cattle (4-5) 26 Have permission to go off on holiday (5) 27 Hold onto a small part to maintain law and order (4,3,5)

DOWN 1 Undermined by awful dread, etc, over time (9) 2 Other ranks may join up with one on Sunday (8) 3 Some may come out ahead in a state (4) 4 On the margin, studying method of communication for the deaf (3-7) 5 Sensed invasion of one, by the end, displaying loyalty to another (6) 6 Sends out some small measures over a short time (5) 7 Dine out in castles over Europe, or in a small food shop (12) HUGH JOHNSON 10 Did an officer take one to matches to make some observations? (12) 13 At the end, cheer a singer’s swan song (4,6) 16 We crave one First Minister turning back sudden rise in offences (5,4) 17 Spanish girl is a ringer to the French (8) 20 Casualty from a traffic pile-up. It was an accident (6) 22 Is fully conscious of a conflict, at the end (5) 24 When a priest has to follow right away (4)