The Hindu Crossword No. 9458 Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Across

 1 In a bank it may be current, to be important (7) ACCOUNT

 5 Mexican location where new copper was found in prison (6) CANCUN

11 The fibre of French friend captured by British Engineers (5) RAMIE

12 Verb form used in times gone by, stressful (4,5) PAST TENSE

13 Inferior writing — to keep the kitchen fires burning (9) POTBOILER

14 Poetry from Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur or Tokyo (5) HAIKU

15 Slope that models like to walk? (4) RAMP

17 Brilliant red mark, a hindrance (7) SCARLET

21 Never growing old, like eagles flying around top of spire (7) AGELESS

22 Hand out two notes (4) METE

26 One who takes steps in reverse for a summing up (5) RECAP

27 Amusing or otherwise, he knows nothing (9) IGNORAMUS

29 Such a question could be put to Google perhaps (9) SEARCHING

30 Subject for a top gear conservative (5) TOPIC

31 Bovine infuriator (3,3) RED RAG

32 Put through the press to facilitate reading? (7) CREASED

Down

 2 Celestial body that may arrive before end of Lent (5) COMET

 3 American state where no gore gets spilt (6) OREGON

 4 Sodium on hand as a weapon (6) NAPALM

 6 Player without the traditional virtues is opposed to girl’s love (8) ANTIHERO

 7 Creature dispatched, say, with one deep in trouble (9) CENTIPEDE

 8 Birthmark that may trouble a Venus (6) NAEVUS

 9 Curtains for a healer, imitator on track (7) DRAPERY

10 Bird that is very big, beginning to turn full of calories (7) OSTRICH

16 Stick wielded by the conjurer (5,4) MAGIC WAND

18 Baldness of oil exporters, ‘inter alia’ (8) ALOPECIA

19 Pain reliever for one hoping to lose tail (7) ASPIRIN

20 What a sailor cannot afford to be (7) SEASICK

23 Tool for undoing a writer’s work (6) ERASER

24 Variety of wild ass from the iron age recently found (6) ONAGER

25 A shrub to study, with decay inside (6) PROTEA

28 Tree with ample spread (5) MAPLE