The Brain Teaser

ACROSS

1. Like the drop in the sale of knives? (5,4)

6. Play the last half with spirit (5)

9. “It's back to the land,” I put in, “for her” (5)

10. Assuming to be staging (7,2)

11. Free – to get oneself a new fiancee? (10)

12. A female and off key to start with (4)

14. A game little creature (7)

15. Made fun of for having bolted (7)

17. Lets you know where the pupils are? (7)

19. Engage again to wait on (7)

20. A past excess (4)

22. Sheets only fit for throwing out (5,5)

25. Permit, as creator of? (9)

26. The same animal hiding back where animals often hide (5)

27. Separated and that's not all (5)

28. What the catch realised? (3,6)

DOWN

1. Don't be mean, son! Hang on! (5)

2. Rather difficult – to bend? (1,3,5)

3. Not mountaineering wear? (5,5)

4. Surface on which the reptile will crawl no more? (7)

5. Produces stretchers (7)

6. Cutting when you fall (4)

7. To free the soldier captured is very hard (5)

8. Be rough with the chap you deal with (9)

13. Brute force? (10)

14. I cut up and talk about a sausage (9)

16. Bullet resistant? (9)

18. Is not allowed to wander round Army Headquarters (7)

19. Resume negotiations from a safe place (7)

21. Having got right inside to chop up more (5)

23. How the jeweller will modernise about a quarter of the others (5)

24. Where you may well see a ship – in a bottle (4)