Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman

ACROSS

1 Church to pour out an offering to monk, say (8)

5 Hammers companies that include female (6)

10 Sugar stuck in lettuce (7)

11 A more skilful assistant (7)

12 Gunned down with single central push (5)

13 Elephant, perhaps, sets about amour with glee (5,4)

14 Get rest, peace, R & R somehow, with which seniors may wish to be treated (7,7)

17 Church or manor? (5,2,3,4)

21 Bawdy tales of French prime minister (9)

23 Rest in peace at return of jungle pig (5)

24 Turn off river and cultivate (7)

25 Follow one road to gallery (7)

26 It was put down and expired as arranged (6)

27 A vacant-looking girl is beset with drinks from hunters (8)

DOWN

1 Businessman is very convincing (6)

2 Couple starting from Aldeburgh turn back south of the Wash (7)

3 Being an intermediary in anger at penniless state (9)

4 The services spoilt her cat’s freedom (3,5,6)

6 Beast to look at flower (5)

7 Cadets assume fish is something that sells well (7)

8 I hear that master adjusts results of over-production (8)

9 More extensive than biography where the persona surpasses the person (6,4,4)

15 Contempt for embracing first love is divisive (9)

16 A puzzle to undo with detective story (8)

18 Pork belly, perhaps, is no better (7)

19 Substitute for traveller in ladies’ underwear component (7)

20 Lurks with jerks (6)

22 Technology tool for a moment of application (5)

Thursday’s solution

Across: 1 Boarder, 5 Believe, 9 Dynamic, 10 Enamour, 11 Has a break, 12 Drift, 13 Trade, 15 Lethargic, 16 Attribute, 18 Lopes, 21 Slate, 22 Clears out, 24 Eclipse, 26 Outline, 27 Enrages, 28 Drovers.

Down: 1 Bad shot, 2 Amnesia, 3 Demob, 4 Rocket-launchers, 5 Breaks the record, 6 Lea, 7 Eroding, 8 Erratic, 12 Drawl, 14 Elite, 16 Austere, 17 Trailer, 19 Promise, 20 Setters, 23 Ratio, 25 Peg.