Factfinder’s crossword - The Scotsman 03/08/13

This week’s prize: a Collins English Dictionary Concise Edition, to the first correct entry opened at random. Entries must be received by Thursday. Cut out the crossword panel and send to: Factfinder’s Crossword, Promotions Department, The Scotsman, PO Box 1027, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

Across

8 Landlocked South American country (157,108 sq

miles; pop about 7 million), independent since 1811 (8)

9 A stout burrowing rodent (6)

10 Gilbert __ (1743-86), Edinburgh-born historian who wrote A View of Society in Europe (1778) (6)

11 A vagabond, or fugitive (8)

12 A snipe-like shore bird of the sandpiper family (4)

13 Large US city (pop about 3.8 million), founded by the Spanish in 1781 (3,7)

15 A low platform (7)

17 A dry white wine produced in eastern France, western Germany and Luxembourg (7)

20 Easily recognised, or conspicuous (10)

22 The Greek hero next to Achilles in the Trojan War (4)

24 Making the sound of an exploding bomb in military slang (8)

26 A halogen element giving a violet-coloured vapour (6)

27 European capital city (pop 1.7 million), the birthplace of Marie Curie (6)

28 A skin eruption, especially accompanied by fever (8)

DOWN

1 An edible crab (6)

2 A roughly broken type of tobacco (8)

3 A family of the marten genus, including otters, badgers, weasels, etc (10)

4 A thin transparent black stuff like crape (7)

5 Arab sultanate (82,030 sq miles; pop about 4 million), independent since 1970 (4)

6 Parachute used to reduce the speed of a falling object (6)

7 Large Canadian city (pop 1.7 million), founded as a mission station in 1642 (8)

14 Of recent origin (10)

16 A textile worker who removes superfluous nap from cloth (8)

18 Having no tail (8)

19 A young salmon, a salmon fry (7)

21 Small Indian savoury, stuffed with spiced vegetable or meat (6)

23 Dutch provincial capital (pop about 150,000), the site of a major battle in 1944 (6)

25 US state (56,275 sq miles; pop 3 million), also known as the Hawkeye State (4)

Last week’s solution:

Across: 1 Glenluce, 5 Punjab, 9 Lysander, 10 Boxcar, 12 Snoeks, 13 Thane, 16 Osiers, 17 Skipjack,

20 Fiefdoms, 21 Auteur, 23 Aglet, 25 Oberon, 28 Ingres, 29 Palisade, 30 Esther, 31 Deemster.

Down: 1 Galt, 2 ENSA, 3 Leningrad, 4 Crewel, 6 U-boat, 7 Jackanapes, 8 Berserkers, 11 Osaka,

14 Wolframite, 15 Fire-blight, 18 Plutonium, 19 Ambos, 22 Sesame, 24 Theme, 26 Baht, 27 Meir.