Crossword for Sun, 24/Dec/2023

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Across
1: Hook Id display in religious showdown (5)

4: Marvelous egg primarily lined with bits of extremely rare gems (7)

10: Reformed drinker helps a water distributor (9,4)

11: Glimpsed middle age, bored (7)

13: I misread _Times_ article's final detail (7)

14: Mark in Russian bar, empty the night before (5)

15: Most in side swim in Derbys river (9)

18: Excitedly rerun tape for thrill (9)

20: Writer deserts pea-green match (5)

22: Said I, 'So be yourself' (suppressing, 'be defiant!') (7)

24: Manservant returns at four in Mideast city (3 4)

25: Shifting financial fortunes cause industry revolution (8,5)

27: Helps jazz musicians after the first (7)

28: University supporters returning in confusion (5)
Down
2: Captive's name placed in tube (7)

3: Incorrectly read pitch for a song (4,5)

4: What this puzzle is (3)

5: Hostile warning: one man has captured the queen (11)

6: Eights had to race again, we hear, concerning fish spawn. (2, 3)

7: Solitary one finally putting me back in service (7)

8: Confuse Garfield, dashing back inside (5)

9: Plain and simple giblet stuffing (7)

12: Does the wandering hero duly hostess perplex? (7)

16: Ties braids without ribbons at the front (9)

17: Dozens of sprites seen on Tuesday and Wednesday initially (7)

19: Albatross, seals cluster here! (4,3)

21: Nice surroundings, but I arrive dishevelled (7)

22: Bush name you rendered informally (5)

23: Rings for the groups (5)

26: Mediterranean leaves unfashionable coins? (3)




Solution (Reversed)
A
E
G
R
E
B
A
F
D
A
H
I
J
D
R
E
E
U
I
O
D
A
E
H
R
E
L
K
N
I
R
P
S
L
L
M
O
L
T
T
E
E
S
I
M
E
T
I
D
E
C
N
A
L
G
T
G
O
H
G
I
T
S
E
I
D
N
E
R
T
E
V
E
R
B
W
E
R
H
A
L
E
E
R
G
A
E
R
U
T
P
A
R
N
E
L
I
D
N
L
O
V
I
V
A
L
E
T
Y
E
B
O
S
I
D
E
I
O
S
A
S
U
S
E
L
C
Y
C
S
S
E
N
I
S
U
B
R
K
O
E
D
E
Y
U
F
A
N
S
S
T
S
I
S
S
A
A