Friday 23 October

Across

1 Sheep exist on Mexican food (4,5) 6 Cake figurine, stable character (5) 9 Rickety ocean craft (5) 10 Willing to end court situation (4,5) 11 Where peers congregate for game of cards (3) 12 Reform three-person group fronted by former Israeli PM (11) 14 Dead animals reported in small bag? (5-2) 15 For the moment, embracing holy book? Never! (3,4) 16 Cry out quiet sort’s pronoun (7) 19 Procedure for trimming most of keto meat (7) 22 Spooner’s seafood dish for demanding type (7,4) 23 Big jerk in western corporation (3) 24 Flimsy undergarment stylish for dummy (9) 26 Befuddle some characters in retro field day (5) 27 Undercover cop, perhaps with retro-style ponytail (5) 28 Bastard! Butler’s expletive overheard in European city (9)

Down

1 Rustic’s neverending malady: acute pain (7) 2 Brown entrée in oven (7) 3 Employ alert screwball to cover expenses (4,7) 4 One girl crazy for heavy metal band? (3,4) 5 Royal’s lover’s idiot offspring (7) 6 Something to mind in central Singapore (3) 7 No limit? That’s what you think! (7) 8 Rancid hen meat gives you gas (7) 13 Sale of merchandise I alter? (6,5) 16 Players took the van, protected in a way (7) 17 Foul comedians (but not Gamble) not smelling so good? (7) 18 Disturbed, harried Harry has this (3,4) 19 Titleholder held up sailor in vocal quartet? (7) 20 Perry, accomplished in form of cricket? (7) 21 Pair of wrestlers spray graffiti on several mules (3,4) 25 What wolf might do, seeing horse (3)