No 2766, Sunday 24 Nov 2013

ACROSS
1   Artist needing help, a struggling Italian painter (7) RAPHAEL {RA}{A+HELP*}
5   Bishop, American, to hand over travel permit (3,4) BUS PASS {B}{US} {PASS}
9   Select few's brief pitch (5,4) SHORT LIST {SHORT} {LIST}
10 Some swell English girl (5) ELLEN [T]
11 Authority coming from state, in this manner (3-2) SAY-SO {SAY}-{SO}
12 Philosopher extremely disagreeable actress upset (9) DESCARTES {DisagreeablE}{ACTRESS*}
13 Summoned up the courage, left the board, and got married? (4,3,6) TOOK THE PLUNGE [DD]
16 Emperor greets English girl going round Ethiopia's capital (5,8) HAILE SELASSIE {HAIL {E}S}{E}{LASSIE}
18 Agree ills may come from such aversions (9) ALLERGIES*
20 In trepidation, I treated saltpetre (5) NITRE [T]
22 A few restraining Greek in a temper (5) ANGRY {AN{GR}Y}
23 Left a group on edge? Not half! (9) ABANDONED {A}{BAND}{ON}{EDge}
24 Gossips idly with stories about teetotaller (7) TATTLES {TA{TT}LES}
25 Have a meal before start of revue in the auditorium (7) THEATRE {TH{EAT}{R}E}

DOWN
1   Defy drunken sister (6) RESIST*
2   Agent for two unknowns (5) PROXY {PRO}{X}{Y}
3   Who may have identified early moon, or star twinkling? (10,5) ASTRONOMER ROYAL* &lit
4   He's landed in Scotland, having put down with king aboard (5) LAIRD {LAI{R}D}
5   Wife of Uriah Heep, initially taken in by very eccentric male graduate (9) BATHSHEBA {BAT{H}S}{HE}{BA}
6   Advice to tourists on the west coast of Italy that may be misconstrued? (3,6,3,3) SEE NAPLES AND DIE [CD]
7   Simultaneously, and without warning (3,2,4) ALL AT ONCE [CD]
8   Evil crime I back no end (8) SINISTER {SIN}{I}{STERn}
13 A problem getting into sealed rear lamp (4-5) TAIL-LIGHT {T{A}{IL-L}IGHT}
14 Article on opponent's play (3,6) THE RIVALS {THE} {RIVALS}
15 Yokel eating hot game bird (8) PHEASANT {P{H}EASANT}

17 Parish officer to stay, given new deal (6) BEADLE {BE}{DEAL*}
19 Small trading centre, well-kept (5) SMART {S}{MART}
21 Opinion expressed by third of guests entering marquee (5) TENET {TEN{guEsts}T}