Guardian Cryptic #28384

2021-03-04

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Across

1a

Drug dealer going after prison clerk (9)

6a

See 22 down

8a

Darling bursting at the seams almost? How elegant! (8)

9a

Casual agreement to hold career back leads to destitution (6)

10a

Elastic hem of bikini caught in bush? (6)

11a

Juvenile predator gets choice fish circling river (8)

12a

Forlorn thing, replacing love with one (6)

15a

Bloody treatment and daily abuse by sibling (8)

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16a

Fragrant as a nameless Wordsworthian poet, say (8)

19a

Sword-shaped sateen creation (6)

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21a

Artist who sounds cheerful (8)

22a

Sporty type of male appreciative of painting etc (6)

24a

Here Labour begins true representation in America (6)

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25a

Inclined to accept roentgen unit study (8)

26a

See 22 down

27a

Joyful orchids cultivated without state backing (9)

Down

1d

Newspaper illustrations carrying risk (5)

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2d

'Quite agreeable, collecting rubbish' (wink, wink!) (7)

3d

Large body to go comfortably round, being out of shape (5)

4d

Heap laid out, but not a place to land on (7)

5d

A second chance for foiled contestants? (9)

6d

Rather bleak victory, with lame finish in Test (7)

7d

One who takes lives in central development (9)

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13d

Tennis champion off to the small Italian commune (9)

14d

Ground is to alter betting system (9)

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17d

Beneath mountain peak, diverging trails wind (7)

18d

Carbon ring coil associated with a petal formation (7)

20d

Refrained from releasing a book that's marked (7)

22d
26a

Tip waste food over press and sackings are on the cards! (5,4,4)

23d

Habit of taking a lot of wine with ice-cold starters? (5)