Cryptic crossword No. 9

by Mark Taylor

ACROSS

1. Sailor, fed up, gets nothing at all (4)

4. Epilogue always gives expression to striving (9)

9. One before one — by first principle (1,6)

10. Primate, two-thirds rat, turned up — found in old Persian Armoury (7)

11. ‘Healthy’ for smokers once? Lead them not into confusion! (11)

12. Buff cooler (3)

13. Author, creator of 1A, 23D (6)

14. Web creator losing new engineer, limits old keyboard (8)

18. Sick, thrown up, then hospital (First Aid Western) — all after first ride in old Asian taxi (8)

20. Most Lao are into blended rice bouchée (6)

23. NZ Indigenous group found in Maori-wide survey (3)

24. Important moment I first caught in dream, really isn’t important (6,5)

25. Flare-up, so surmise a negative response? (7)

26. Trial about every other love life has knickers most knotted (7)

27. Combine missing blood type in ‘brave hearts’ transplant (9)

28. Fiddles with models (4)

DOWN

2. Intimate found in the morning by radar, for example (7)

3. Tree hollows aren’t flaws, we hear (9)

4. Venally vile, crazy lady has no heart (6)

5. Some computers found in help-desk to psychological services! (8)

6. Injured, without leader, but getting tooled up (5)

7. Into cross-fit too? Sounds like you blitzed! (3,2,3)

8. Broadcast The Queen in yet another screening (5)

9. It shows current levels in river after mostly wet girl turns up (7)

15. Politician’s comeback scam turned up, MO backing, intended for Auditor (2,7)

16. Heartfelt, according to Oscar, sounds like 1A when in town (8)

17. Thwac! Cryptic warning to be careful? (5,3)

19. Head honcho in fierce tussle to become more important (7)

21. Seriously too clever in middle, dealer last to play (7)

22. Author, creator of 4A, 24D (6)

23. Murdoch wants second short whiskey (5)

24. Heap missing from semaphore — dashed cryptic system! (5)

ANSWERS