CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter.

There is at least one nine-letter word.

No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb, e.g. he fires the gun.

Good 18 Very good 27 Excellent 35 (or more)

Yesterday: feet feint fete fief fife fifteen FIFTEENTH fine heft nett teen teeth tenet tent tenth thee theft then thief thine tine tithe

Across

1. Is sat on her PC by the editor (7)

5. The first female boxer (7)

9. Gross rage shown as he’s the first to attack (9)

10. Dicer who turned and wept (5)

11. What could a woman’s pants do to rear? (8)

12. It almost makes the Black Sea (6)

14. Cert 24 somehow held in regard (9)

16. To implant one on the wrong nest (5)

17. Stuff quietly but get severe abdominal pain (5)

19. Bird that gets Hazel by the nose (9)

21. Inn servant changing to an MP (6)

22. Pineapples found in leaving grenadines (8)

26. In Siam, bit the feet (5)

27. Else, the worse I could be (9)

28. Could meet Rex as being highest in degree (7)

29. Drank a toast given as security (7)

Down

1. Lap it made for a braided tress (5)

2. Looks at red rags being put out (7)

3. It may be laughing at any he replaced (5)

4. Second tint being misapplied, one is not pleased (10)

5. It’s a bit that’s played (4)

6. Certain disorder the Northeast brings to fruit (9)

7. Drugs a poet is preparing (7)

8. One giving up office to bar a CID eruption (9)

13. Journalistic post (post I hired out) (10)

14. Quick to take in vice, Peter might be (9)

15. In order to stress me, shape is adapted (9)

18. Try a shot at something (7)

20. Teasing dig, kind of (7)

23. Nanny runs around end of enclosure (5)

24. The mph in amphetamine (5)

25. With which to water stockings (4)