Observer Cryptic 3417 Sunday April 1st 2012

[cericb]

12a 14a 25a What do the numbers mean? (I know the answers but I need an explanation.

[factor-fiction]

12a means 12 across etc....

I'm sure that's not what you mean though. What are the clues/answers please as I don't have the crossword

[Lie-in King]

They're used as pointers to each other, the answers being of a kind

[Obscurantist]

What is 12ac then? I have P---S-N -A-R-L. Can't make head nor tail of it.

[bulliver]

poisson d'avril (French 'april fool')

[Calibax]

12a is a topical French phrase

[Lie-in King]

12a Poisson d'avril (French 'April Fool')

[chokkie]

LIK - the other two answers are "gowk" (at the bottom of the grid) and "April Fool" (somewhere in the middle), if you haven't got these already.

Chox.

[chokkie]

Ah, and I've just seen that you know what the answers are. Oh well .....