CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

689

// ACROSS

8 Jack with nothing but a root vegetable (4)

9 A ruler is after a small drink, she’s so melodramatic (5,5)

10 Pester Paul for example, in some way (6)

11 The perfectionist places an adhesive label around the first of the lollies (8)

12 Snap after the right side gets the moving delivery (3,5)

14 The heartless boy is after a musical instrument in Christchurch (6)

16 Seek divine help for a pronounced victim (4)

17 Flushed after copper is restored to health (5)

18 Starts to sign away the last of the basic cask wine (4)

19 French statesman is smart about the artist (6)

21 Blanched when they complained about the heartless tyke (8)

23 Puddings that fall apart before the start of supper (8)

26 Healthy lunches for a boy on board (6)

27 Labelling, poor says Spooner. Bonkers! (7,3)

28 Information made up of all points (4)

// DOWN

1 Set off energetically with Ms Field on the Scottish river (5,5)

2 A soldier puts money on the lad (8)

3 Stick to a Māori engineer after an advertisement (6)

4 Service for a scholar on the ship (4)

5 One between the vehicle and the outhouse disappeared

(8)

6 Shoot, a gullible person (6)

7 The shrub turns up in the glebe house (4)

13 Keep up at first with the squabble in Otago (5)

15 Supported the party on the western extremes, but withdrew (6,4)

17 Laughing when Roger initially leaves the crispy skin (8)

18 The Māori King, included in the tip, gets British money (8)

20 The libertine holds me up in the new film version (6)

22 In prison, Enid is corrected

(6)

24 Aaron somehow loses a horse (4)

25 A few get me so upset (4)