{ THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
1 Famous composer? Hear hear! (5)
4 Take a trip? (7)
8 Part of a wheel that projects about a centimetre (3)
9 Brothers not on speaking terms with one another (9)
10 Imagined to be highly favoured? (7)
11 Way in which the sentry loses his head (5) 13 Such fruit is to be put in water (6)
15 Stalin’s ultimate strategy had an offensive element (6)
18 How bread’s gone up? (5)
19 Place to thicken stew (7)
21 Betrayed - like a bride in church may be (5,4) 23 Sash 50% too big (3)
24 One who treats wounds - in the chest? (7) 25 He sings or follows half the score (5)
DOWN
1 A match for the devil (7)
2 I can’t mess around with the meanings of words (9)
3 All for those making notes (5)
4 A drink mixed and swallowed by the shy (6) 5 Numerous men put in place around the East (7)
6 Transport of internal combustion (3) 7 Attempt at sex appeal, we hear (5)
12 Feel depressed when you land (5,4)
14 Games period shown in new inn sign (7) 16 City in great trouble (7)
17 A sticker for the traditional method of roasting (6)
18 Stiff clothes I’d put on (5)
20 Hear a way to form a meeting (5) 22 Contend it’s a quarter after six (3)
QUICK CLUES ACROSS
1 Treat unjustly (5)
4 Wild with anxiety (7) 8 Determined (3)
9 Free to roam (9)
10 Ponder (7)
11 Additional (5)
13 Detest (6)
15 Name of eight English kings (6) 18 Northeast African country (5) 19 Lachrymose (7)
21 Bony-plated burrowing animal (9) 23 Beam of light (3)
24 Model of excellence (7) 25 Unfashionable (5)
DOWN
1 A profligate (7)
2 Without deliberation (3,2,4) 3 Social blunder (5)
4 Cold in manner (6) 5 Everything considered (3,4) 6 Excessively (3)
7 Acquit (5)
12 Precipitately (9) 14 Downcast (7)
16 Held up (7)
17 Obtained by theft (6) 18 Inundate (5)
20 Shun (5)
22 To spoil (3)