CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Watch revues call in comic (12) 8 Automatic rifle beginning to

oddly jerk (7)

9 Praise a god, say, keeping very

quiet (7)

11 Pigeon let down catching

insect (7)

12 Cheers seeing house with old

beams (7)

13 Composer saw audience thrilled

in Eroica initially (5)

14 Conclude Eastenders’ trial,

winning (9)

16 Swamps single sister with

boyfriends? (9)

19 Oddly plump cases

transforming insects (5) 21 Split, a capital city? (7)

23 NATO is one friend

in a million (7)

24 Ogling the French sweetheart

with girdle (7)

25 Flipping raining around drive

home (7) 26 Dope perhaps seeing

reason (12)

DOWN

1 Maybe some bread roll found

inside case (7)

2 Run over from Beetle car,

terribly upset (7)

3 Boss of former unit on hospital department (9)

4 Area in Scottish lake for fish (5)

5 Heard I’m in favour of a jar (7) 6 After tea I knock up Indian

speciality (7) 7 Trained person if also rubbish

(12)

10 Argument made steering

awkward (12)

15 Preparing fish, empty sac

during handling (9)

17 Dirty European occupying a

French house (7) 18 Notwithstanding abnormal

speed, embraces sex (7) 19 Equality over top

of nude model (7)

20 Boozer on board tramp ship (7) 22 A new hair product for

sweetheart (5)