The Guardian - Cryptic crossword No 25,575 - Mar 5 2012

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Clues Answers
Agrees to a wage cut and drowns one's sorrows TAKESADROP
An acrostic composed for a Latin American COSTARICAN
Books with opposing points about love, in a way NOVELS
Column I shall condense into a short paragraph PILLAR
Deprived, due to faulty beer measure! BEREFT
Disgraced bogus journalist SHAMED
Elder in sore distress SENIOR
Frightening the French into preparing for war ALARMING
Go into service? JOINUP
Horse's blaze of celebrity STAR
Is unable to face the situation with free-range poultry? CHICKENSOUT
Leg side shot results in being out ONSTRIKE
Make rapid progress in a profession CAREER
Clues Answers
Messy hit-and-run? SLAPDASH
Not a member of the first form at Westminster BACKBENCHER
On which to get wind of something? BLOWER
Once wrong, made exact EXTORT
One US state has a right to top another ARKANSAS
Prime minister? CARDINAL
Secure a basic commodity STAPLE
Slackens off when the sun is out at quarter past eight, say UNSCREWS
Space evolved a long time back AREA
Sums lost at rummy TOTALS
They may have fallen on people's feet ARCHES
US general embraced by one German girl EILEEN
V-sign shows one is not in agreement! VARIES