{ THE CROSSWORDS }

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 I can act it out, providing he plans the moves (9)

8 On the other hand, it’s no loss (5)

9 Taxi runs into a horse - very gruesome (7) 10 Mike’s love turns out to be from the north (6)

11 Make disclosures about meat (6) 12 Expressed at even greater length (8) 15 Hip seams split by stress (8) 18 Nassau provides hot baths (6)

20 Feels one would be mad to be out of them (6)

21 Some dowry (7)

22 Attack on a clique (5)

23 It brings down the tone when depressed (4,5)

DOWN

2 Present day maxim (5)

3 Steer awkwardly round a difficult problem (6)

4 Sees Carl is strangely unconcerned (8)

5 Ill feeling (6)

6 Queen of the Waltz? (7)

7 Tributes paid to organised labour (5,4) 11 Once rises develop on the stock market it may disappear (9)

13 A ticket and a drink is what many travellers need (8)

14 Language that disturbs his naps (7)

16 A note sent out by representatives (6) 17 Illicit way to transfer stock (6) 19 Perfume helps to make a romance possible (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Emotionally disturbing (9) 8 Take up (5)

9 Keep in check (7)

10 Large bottle for wine etc. (6) 11 Adorn (6)

12 Break a journey (4,4)

15 At once (8)

18 Spite (6)

20 As a precaution (2,4) 21 Misrepresent (7) 22 Coalesce (5)

23 Make a lot of trouble (5,4)

DOWN

2 Penetrating investigation (5) 3 One or the other (6) 4 Stocky (8)

5 Horse’s fastest pace (6) 6 To pardon (7) 7 Whatever happens (2,3,4) 11 Offensively self-assertive (9) 13 Quadrennial games (8) 14 Vanity (7)

16 Placard (6)

17 Grasp tightly (6)

19 A deep pink (5)