Puzzles November 2023

Across

• 1 Missile shelter built around dump (7)
• 5 Places it before the end in two seconds (5)
• 8 Vaudeville chum is confusing everybody (5,4)
• 9 Turned away (3)
• 10 Rough outline sounds like a breeze (5)
• 11 Student laptop given to breadwinner (7)
• 13 Rainwear wrapped around heartless lothario (6)
• 15 Standard features of written signature (6)
• 18 Complicated bureaucracy revealed in bloody recording (3,4)
• 22 Drain away to the lowest point (5)
• 24 Napoleon’s sign of the zodiac (3)
• 25 Gold leads to conspiracy about current unconscious behaviour (9)
• 26 To begin with drinking is strictly controlled outside nightclub (5)
• 27 Curious order to get seen stuffing animal (3,4)

Down

• 1 Cautious but pointed imitation backfired somewhat (5)
• 2 Stop chasing stylish position (7)
• 3 Kindles make reference to naughty sex outside (7)
• 4 Follow footpath (5)
• 5 Relish small mixed salad with no drizzle topping (5)
• 6 Tip of this prong or barb? (5)
• 7 To some extent, she's affronted by yellow food colouring (7)
• 12 She couldn’t resist an apple, so peeled seven (3)
• 13 Messy clothing encouraged! (7)
• 14 Trendy joint (3)
• 16 No joke to be shown up by the French in groups of nine (7)
• 17 Humour is eluding loony (7)
• 19 Leaves a little bit of liquid (5)
• 20 Battle tall farm boy regularly (5)
• 21 Apple muncher (5)
• 23 It spins back and forth (5)