The Sunday Crossword No 3192, Sunday 06 Mar 2022

ACROSS

1   Secret kind of trick (10) CONFIDENCE [DD]

6   Sumptuous drunkard (4) LUSH [DD]

9   Chap, one drying and cutting fingernails etc (10) MANICURING {MAN}{1}{CURING}

10 Six women accepting European opinion (4) VIEW {VI}{E}{W}

11 Coldest moment, shivering, waited for end ... (4,2,6) DEAD OF WINTER*

15 ... amen! Bus turned up – source of joy (7) SUNBEAM*

16 Beasts, river creatures with webbed feet (7) ROTTERS {R}{OTTERS}

17 A little wheeler-dealer tediously given a warning (7) ALERTED [T]

19 Zimbabwean, Angolan, Malawian, Botswanan included among neighbours, primarily? (7) ZAMBIAN Acrostic &lit

20 Top hard-liner, radical who wrote The Birthday Party? (6,6) HAROLD PINTER*

23 Hitherto, one hairy beast (4) YETI {YET}{1}

24 Calm son acquired new skills going around (10) RESTRAINED {RE{S}TRAINED}

25 Perhaps Man Utd expressed exasperation audibly (4) SIDE (~sighed)

26 Has another think about Spooner’s women who see future (10) REASSESSES (seeresses to reassesses)

DOWN

1   Alpha male, old and cold, sent upstairs for deep sleep (4) COMA {A}{M}{O}{C}<=

2   What’s reverse of acceptable, feasible? (2-2) NO-NO<=

3   In crèche, not half furious, getting up gradually (11) INCREMENTAL {IN}{CREche}{MENTAL}

4   Cockney’s flung those things in Wessex? (7) EARLDOM (~'url dem)

5   What fir cone might become! (7) CONIFER* Semi&lit

7   Stratospheric – or uncertain? (2,2,3,3) UP IN THE AIR [DD]

8   Expression of pain in difficult Post novel (7,3) HOWARDS END {H{OW}ARD}{SEND}

12 I meet parent that’s agitated, passionate (11) INTEMPERATE*

13 Yeah, Cassia massaged a soul singer (5,5) ISAAC HAYES*

14 In France, an old sin’s admitted, sold short (10) UNDERRATED {UN}{D{ERR}ATED}

18 Exhaust in deep-felt dancing, skipping foxtrot (7) DEPLETE {DEEP+fELT}*

19 It’s getting hard to support Eastern religion's highest states (7) ZENITHS {IT{H}S}<=>{ZEN}

21 Everyman regularly finding oneness in hostelries (4) INNS {I}{oNeNeSs}

22 Some modest verses (4) ODES [T]

Reference List

Women = W, European = E, River = R, Son = S, Alpha = A, Male = M, Old = O, Cold = C, An in French = UN, Foxtrot = F, Hard = H