Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 18/01/14

ACROSS

1 Strong penchant for furniture? (8-4)

8 Placate monkey consuming vegetables (7)

9 They were wise taking no time to reach the line (7)

11 Extremely large implement (4)

12 Relish one might have following meal (10)

14 Oriental sailor changed sides, the rogue (6)

15 Taproots cooked in meat dish (3,5)

17 Force one’s way in with awful clumsiness, saints excluded (6,2)

19 Neat type of grid found along the way (6)

22 How cricketer will look after gate (4,6)

23 Endlessly flesh-creeping ego (4)

25 Fed up? (7)

26 Two ladies in the afternoon (3,4)

27 Wild bird (6,6)

DOWN

1 Many a policeman promises to pay (7)

2 Student left another pally dramatic piece (4)

3 First number away is impossible to repeat (3-3)

4 Meaningless word that’s strange underneath (8)

5 Docker after dieting? (10)

6 Girl, Virginia, going round a loch (7)

7 One designing kaleidoscope (7-5)

10 Where violent drama can be seen (7,2,3)

13 Ruminants that are unproductive (6,4)

16 Sorcery which, say, can be found on eastern railway (8)

18 Two step round pan (7)

20 Wind getting up (7)

21 Part of head place of worship (6)

24 Sister turned up in branch-line (4)

Friday’s solution

Across: 1 A case in point, 9 Mildred, 10 Retiree, 11 Sago, 12 Clout, 13 Pimp, 16 Breathe, 17 Tension, 18 Asphalt, 21 Tariffs, 23 Ikea, 24 Giros, 25 Rime, 28 Spewing, 29 Brained, 30 The free press.

Down: 2 Cologne, 3 Sark, 4 Indulge, 5 Pursuit, 6 Into, 7 Termini, 8 Keep one’s head, 9 Must be a first, 14 Atlas, 15 Snare, 19 Pretext, 20 Trigger, 21 Trouble, 22 Friends, 26 Tire, 27 Pair.

Last week’s solution

Across: 1 Disenfranchised, 9 Pylon, 10 Antipasto, 11 Out to lunch, 12 Sago, 14 Accepted, 16 Cry off, 18 Ill-got, 19 Eleventh, 21 Coal, 22 Progenitor, 25 Red planet, 26 Nomad, 27 Stretcher-bearer.

Down: 1 Diplomatic corps, 2 Split, 3 Nincompoop, 4 Road-user, 5 Notice, 6 Hype, 7 Saskatoon, 8 Drop off the radar, 13 Provenance, 15 Callander, 17 Blighter, 20 Trench, 23 Tamer, 24 Clot.