Clues
Across
- 1, 4D Sorting hat, having done its thing? A frightening experience (5, 5)
- 5 Guy gets eggs over pizza topping (4)
- 7 Venue threadbare - nasty hedges (5)
- 8 Technique for lifting top of wagon (3)
- 9 Rustic French bread roll, ultimately filling (5)
Down
- 1 Take sharp breath, inhaling vapour - at last! (5)
- 2 Work over time on theatre show (5)
- 3 Dispatched to Cologne, we hear? (4)
- 4 See 1A.
- 6 Really odd sample supporting nil by mouth (4)
Setter’s notes
Hopefully an entertaining little one. I’ll try to set some puzzles that go beyond 5×5 too, as it’s nice to clue longer entries sometimes.
Across
- 1 & 4 Down An anagram (“having done its thing”) of SORTING HAT — GHOST TRAIN.
- 5 “Eggs” = ROE, over the top of “Pizza” = P — ROPE. (Guy as in a guy rope.)
- 7 Hidden (“hedges”) in “threadbARE NAsty” — ARENA.
- 8 “Wagon” = CART, with its top lifted off — ART, “technique”.
- 9 French for “bread” = PAIN, with the last letter of “rolL” filling it — PLAIN, “rustic”.
Down
- 1 “Sharp breath” = GASP, inhaling the last letter of “vapouR” — GRASP, “take”.
- 2 “Work” = OP, over “time” = ERA — OPERA.
- 3 Sounds like (“we hear”) “Cologne” = SCENT — SENT, “dispatched”.
- 4 See 1 Across.
- 6 The odd letters of “ReAlLy” = RAL, supporting “nil” = O — ORAL, “by mouth”.