Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 097
A Puzzle by Alchemi
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Foreword
Welcome to the latest in our series of weekly puzzles.
This week we have another puzzle from Alchemi.
The puzzle
A Puzzle by Alchemi
There is an interactive version of the puzzle here.
If you prefer your puzzles on paper, a pdf of the puzzle can be downloaded from the interactive version.
| Across | Down | |||
| 1 | Saying everyone can expect direct elections, starts to declare independence (6) | 1 | Gets rid of southern dice game (6) | |
| 4 | Maybe Dundonian scams not unusual (8) | 2 | Direct party on Tube (7) | |
| 9 | Pays next year’s subscription for up-to-date sapper info (6) | 3 | Perhaps new blood will begin at the bottom (4,5) | |
| 10 | Just in: safe-break reveals what philanderer has (8) | 5 | Fees from cake used to build drink dispensers (12) | |
| 12 | Bullpen I’m sorting out for measuring depth (9) | 6 | Vehicle reversing in dry area (5) | |
| 13 | People support forerib (5) | 7 | Swallow one cocktail (7) | |
| 14 | I neglect mum to develop modern working practice (13) | 8 | Following rise in Malaysian currency, Thailand’s leader urges savings (4,4) | |
| 17 | Frighten wonk with one nasty weapon (8,5) | 11 | Actor has French wine and a little caviar to tempt pair inside (7,5) | |
| 21 | Unit One somehow comes from far north (5) | 15 | Aunt Irina converts to monotheistic denomination (9) | |
| 23 | Musical group loses nothing in return for cleansing (9) | 16 | Canonised serial killer usually ends up naked (8) | |
| 24 | Fussy photo featuring journalist and social worker (8) | 18 | Aircraft logo depicts circular railway (7) | |
| 25 | Give hint to legend to go quietly (6) | 19 | Top-secret timescales hold back broadcaster (7) | |
| 26 | Eased off fast when forest animals came back round (8) | 20 | Ambitious deputy wants to decapitate (6) | |
| 27 | Restless drones slept noisily (6) | 22 | Projection for one-off cricket team? (5) |