THE CROSSWORDS

CRYPTIC CLUES

1 Apprehensive over bursting into sunset (7) 5 Badly cared for tree (5)

8 Retired - from the bank? (9)

9 End with a bit of advice (3)

10 A bit of a listener (4)

12 Main line terminals? (8)

14 Sign for the thesaurus he’s left (6)

15 Old oil vessel in which I go for a sail (6) 17 Confuse by suggesting that one should be less calm (8)

18 Quite a lot of business (4)

21 Leaves note attached to article (3) 22 Performance for which ten men act in parts (9)

24 Relation of pleasant oriental content (5) 25 Scholar returns maths work on time (7)

DOWN

1 Sounds like a strange letter in the post (5) 2 Rising pitch of squealer (3)

3 Uneven chances (4)

4 Miss Kate did it in winter it appears (6)

5 Plan to study a piece of church architecture (8)

6 Resolve to discourage an excavation (9)

7 A quick reply showing wit or spite perhaps (7) 11 The world’s greatest swimmer (4,5)

13 Where Sagittarius strikes gold (5-3)

14 He comes from man’s highest state (7)

16 Tell a story about Tralee (6)

19Water lily collection going to America (5)

20 Turn up before it erupts (4)

23 Wooden core in steel mast (3)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 An edible mollusc (7) 5 Firm hold (5) 8 Surreptitious (9) 9 Prohibit (3) 10 Desperately urgent (4) 12 Go on the spree (4,2,2) 14 Strabismus (6) 15 Dismal (6) 17 Treachery (3,5)

18 Loud ringing of bells (4) 21 Fruiting spike of cereal (3) 22 Exultantly (2,7) 24 Slightly intoxicated (5) 25 Warhorse (7)

DOWN

1 In good condition (5) 2 Assistance (3)

3 Lie in wait (4)

4 Not easily aroused (6) 5 Gismos (8)

6 To judge in a dispute (9) 7 Splendid array (7) 11 Journey there and back (5,4) 13 Madness (8)

14 Liable (7)

16 Unmoving (6) 19 Hungarian operetta composer (5) 20 Capital of Peru (4)

23 Rob with violence (3)