The Herald crosswords
ACROSS
9 Criminal tennis player? (9)
10 A small department is
proficient (5)
11 Most flexible article in
catalogue (7)
12 Ruin meal by keeping cold (7)
13 Awful stench may be caused
by sailors (9)
16 Bear to hold end of rope and
pull (5)
17 Stickler’s tense about it, so in
trouble (13)
20 Smart? No getting round
non-drinker (5)
21 Minster, eg, rebuilt for army
units (9)
24 Girl, during month, gets to ham
it up (7)
25 Hot garden recess provides
shelter (7)
27 Keeping relative? That’s
stupid (5)
28 Soberly wanders around copper,
in a vague way (9)
DOWN
1 Attempt to secure one pound
for hat (6)
2 Small reduction marks the end
of a rabbit (4)
3 Tell again about the turf (6)
4 Payment cut in the past (4)
5 Quietly taking offence about
making an introduction (10)
6 Monkey about to inch
up craftily (8)
7 Monitor a bet, spoken
roughly (4,4,2)
8 Yarns I found in shops (7)
14 Gossip at length? Jack Sprat’s
wife would! (4,3,3)
15 Softening spice, allocated
amount (10)
18 Pest-control article in astute
news-sheet (8)
19 The Merchant of Venice seeing
bug on moon (7)
22 Knock back two drinks and
speak indistinctly (6)
23 Wanders from the street lights (6) 25 Headless phantom army (4)
26 Sign of Disney fish returning (4)
ACROSS
8 Chopper (7)
9 Question word (5)
10 Wild, untamed (5) 11 Staunch nationalist (7) 12 Speciality food store (12) 16 Contrary (12)
20 Upper layer of earth (7) 23 Regretfully (5)
24 Clip (5)
25 Form of Venetian transport (7)
DOWN
1 Work pattern (5)
2 Fish, source of caviar (8) 3 Hot-tasting capsicum
pod (6)
4 Gait (4)
5 Heavily bandage (6)
6 Iconic small car (4)
7 Small sea fish (7)
13 Enquire (3)
14 Body of soldiers (8) 15 Intense joy (7)
17 On ship (6)
18 Ascending (6)
19 Obscure or secluded road (5) 21 Victim (4)
22 Company emblem (4)