{ THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
1 My drink before a card game (5)
4 Fish with a pin, perhaps (7)
8 It used to be cut back (3)
9 Fling it up, wildly cheering (9)
10 Biblical city to which straying sheep lead us (7)
11 Turn out not to one’s choice (5) 13 Private papers in order (6)
15 Fumes capable of causing a lot of damage (6)
18 Get up about mid-morning to wash (5) 19 Towed home (7)
21 Game bird is all ruffled (9)
23 Old English port, not Scotch (3) 24 Comes into line for clothes (7) 25 Dramatic episode is witnessed, we hear (5)
DOWN
1 Inexperience produces the wrong answers (7)
2 Showing bad form, getting ship’s name wrong (9)
3 What’s this mean? An offer of a drink, perhaps (5)
4 Worn-out shoe? (6)
5 Glance shows a number in fault (7) 6 Priest gives Delia heart (3)
7 A strange thing, but it’s time for bed (5) 12 River seen swirling backwards (2,7)
14 The converse of friends (7)
16 Frank seeing that there’s a final note (7) 17 Musical arrangements of the twenties (6) 18 Very keen to make braid (5)
20 The wars that should have been nipped in the bud? (5)
22 The general gives us shelter (3)
QUICK CLUES ACROSS
1 Recurring series of events (5) 4 Young tree (7)
8 After all deductions (3) 9 Climax (9)
10 Synthetic fibre (7)
11 Hatred (5)
13 Thinly scattered (6)
15 Bestow (6)
18 Roman country house (5) 19 Brochure (7)
21 In an undertone (5,4)
23 Rod used in snooker (3) 24 Irritated (7)
25 So far (2,3)
DOWN
1 Seek opinions of (7)
2 To shriek (9)
3 Surpass (5)
4 Rough drawing (6)
5 Small flute (7)
6 Hostelry (3)
7 Smarten (5)
12 Hotly pursuing (2,4,3) 14 Indistinct (7)
16 Withdraw (7)
17 In another country (6) 18 Prospect (5)
20 Don Giovanni for example (5) 22 Silvery-white metal (3)