Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 21/02/14

ACROSS

1 Common languages used to protest at twitches (8)

5 Stiffness of children playing big parts (6)

10 Act comical with some camping equipment (7)

11 Officer fitting in with Adam’s boy (7)

12 Ancient Persian city’s name given to girl (5)

13 Pony is on the tail of mouse after whom it is named (9)

14 Where a lady in period drama can be seen to assess internal workings (5,3,6)

17 Bills need paying though baby’s not here yet (4,3,3,4)

21 Catapult thin gloss all over the shop (9)

23 There’s a truce, it’s announced, for a bit (5)

24 It’s a bloomin’ nuisance when it’s so wet (7)

25 Place everyone after this month (7)

26 Droning singer is a bounder in federal agency (6)

27 One soldier goes to galleries and stirs things up (8)

DOWN

1 Sink into mushy seabed (6)

2 Nomad is one incumbent of advertising avenue (7)

3 North site turns out to be the most beset with problems (9)

4 She holds cattle cleverly, having been in the saddle (6,3,5)

6 Hints you initially took while tight (5)

7 Study alternative number and dress up afresh (7)

8 Receivers give away parts of match (8)

9 Narrow escape when a race in dead end leads to obsession (1,5,3,5)

15 Send top 10 to build up money in the bank (2,7)

16 I’m surrounded when cop dies, brought down in short bursts (8)

18 Catches sight of Michael: some say it’s earth-shattering! (7)

19 Chatter is out of order when putting this before the horse (3,4)

20 Kingdoms revealed in genuine writing (6)

22 Concurred in lifting the lid on money-grubbing (5)

Thursday’s solution

Across: 1 The end of the line, 9 Expedient, 10 Vests, 11 Cower, 12 Turns down, 13 Acrid, 15 Sea-breeze, 17 Triangles, 19 Pin-up, 21 Sentences, 23 Guide, 24 Taboo, 25 Tool-sheds, 26 Pressure cookers.

Down: 1 Trenchant, 2 Empower, 3 Nadir, 4 Overt, 5 Tutorials, 6 Eavesdrop, 7 Inshore, 8 Essen, 14 Dangerous, 15 Solicitor, 16 Expresses, 18 Ignoble, 20 Naivete, 21 Set up, 22 Stoic, 23 Gusto.