CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Is one determined to improve one’s intellectual capacity? (4,1,4,4) 10 Measure put old pupil teacher in charge (5) 11 Was courteous on board ship, at the end, but it was superficial civility (9)

12 Time to turn blue, being quite violent (9) 13 Leading seaman can take a little time, but it’s barely sufficient (5)

14 Locate some landed properties in the eastern US (7)

16 It’s good, in some level, and right to think twice (7) 18 Tar, in the main, brought up a squirrel- monkey (7)

20 The others have account with Kelvin, and need to build it up again (7)

21 Start operation in the theatre for performance at some stage (5)

23 Left mice to run off. It’s arithmetical (9) 25 Right away, in a very short space of time (2,1,6)

26 Left an African party with a pointed weapon (5)

27 Come across a worthy opponent. It could be love at first sight (4,4,5)

DOWN

2 Later on, a fellow traveller, initially, had little hesitation (5)

3 Start to 27 across with two hands at the table (9)

4 The office dogsbodies, it’s said, are like small burrowing animals (7)

5 Former pupils take a note of people dedicated to the service of God (7) 6 Some small Biblical creatures have very little value (5)

7 Longing to get lost again, about to feel homesick (9)

8 Tell one to keep a secret. Never mind (4,7,2) 9 Go head over heels in a fairground ride (6-7) 15 Is self-confident, although one had a tantrum at the end (9)

17 A lecturer entered a European country to reach another one (9)

19 Was an old lady eager to get a type of cotton cloth? (7)

20 Far removed from first sight of channelhopping devices (7)

22 May find an upper room, but it’s way above one’s head (5)

24 Was an ancient philosopher a pessimistic character? (5)