Independent Cryptic #10978

2021-12-18

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Across

1a

Lovemaking superpower shown by one in bed (6)

4a

Bishop running rings round second-rate primate (6)

9a

Far-flung travel agency picked up old colonel from Egypt (4)

10a

Rooney's wife resolved anger with a Vardy with no end of ingenuity (3,7)

11a

Romeo leaves his love half naked in a cell (6)

12a

Aged following split and went grey (8)

13a

Being faithful, new church gets behind Christian era on Earth (9)

15a

Parrots pushing third of seeds to front (4)

16a

Some land a part in Layer Cake after being called back (4)

17a

Heavy hitters from police taking Labour leader for oddly Tory meals (9)

21a

Avoid road using this, maybe (3-5)

22a

Terribly useless Methuselah cut a tragic figure (6)

24a

Would-be politicians have blunt, sharing the last of it with girlfriends (10)

25a

See 1 Down

26a

A pair of Spaniards in German administration (6)

27a

Malign American's behind trouble (6)

Down

1d
25a

(and 25 Across) Remake of ER filmed down under leaves a lot to be desired (7,4)

2d

Mad judge could give such a short sentence (5)

3d

In the dark and naked on the moon before delivery of some clothes (7)

5d

Love Actually expresses a point in speech (6)

6d

Are they wrinkly after another length in deep pool, perhaps? (3,6)

7d

They might take bungs off leading cricketers (7)

8d

US state littered with chasms - not this one (13)

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14d

Old dramatist's peculiar ire used to inspire one of his characters (9)

16d

Troublesome warmonger abandons front before charge (7)

18d

Expenses overwhelming department under Patel, Hammond and May? (2-5)

19d

It's imperative to get under end of quilt every so often (7)

20d

What kind of academic follows standard from St Andrews' course? (6)

23d

Island's in the grip of dismal tabloids (5)