This crossword No. 21774 clues and answers were published on Tue 21 Dec 1999 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 21774 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
1-across – Joke about girl that’s a prude : PURITAN
5-across – Who the author mentioned in disbelief? : DICKENS
9-across – Provide for the 39th US President, not the 3rd : CATER
10-across – Irritable note unknown : CROTCHETY
11-across – Running a company like Robert Maxwell? : OVERBOARD
12-across – I want a thousand giraffes on my desk by tomorrow morning : ATALL
13-across – See 12 : ORDER
15-across – Pound reduction to bring in : INTRODUCE
18-across – Watch me object after square one : TIMEPIECE
19-across – After one Latin meal … : PASTA
21-across – … or maybe another? : TAPAS
23-across – Girl that’s sweet etc comes back to embrace one that’s not : CHARLOTTE
25-across – Landlord’s rent offered during meal, though without starter : INNKEEPER
26-across – One-horn creation : RHINO
27-across – American writer making men sore : EMERSON
28-across – Odds on fish will provide glitter : SPANGLE
All Down Clues and Answers:
1-down – Small foreign instrument : PICCOLO
2-down – Beast swallows another 500 and a large port : ROTTERDAM
3-down – Beat most of the swindle : THROB
4-down – Fruit makes a number react badly when eaten : NECTARINE
5-down – End of novel 5 across never completed, so died cross : DROOD
6-down – Mate given a ring, deliriously happy : COCKAHOOP
7-down – So be it! Point upwards to this treatment! : ENEMA
8-down – This Hugh, we’re told, can be looked up to : SKYBLUE
14-down – Take back knotted rope onto ships around the East : REPOSSESS
16-down – Book of words based on the old reptile’s tail : THESAURUS
17-down – Finished my work, so hurtful : UPSETTING
18-down – Tiny boy grabs model, diamonds and the birds : TITMICE
20-down – Bloomer getting confused on 7 : ANEMONE
22-down – Money, a pound given to the church : PENCE
23-down – A restricted chicken? : CAPON
24-down – Cricketer is about five, so form not yet developed : LARVA
This crossword has in total 32 where 16 are across and 16 are down.