{ THE CROSSWORDS }

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 Refusing to handle polish (8)

5 Stops for a drink? (4)

9 Reach the heights in music (5)

10 Produce an eviction order? (4,3)

11 It may be used to fly a new plane (7,5) 13 Presume something’s missing and carry on (6) 14 Dress I put on about spring (6)

17 Biblical book of complaints (12)

20 Nowhere near being cold (7)

21 They have to be driven home (5)

22 It may run out in time (4)

23 Indifference somehow consoles (8)

DOWN 1 Deep sea fish (4)

2 Fair fighters? (7)

3 He can’t help helping himself (12)

4 Not one on view (6)

6 A grain in wood perhaps (5)

7 Agreeing upon, and paying, one’s debts? (8)

8 Poor patrol in difficulty, relatively speaking (12)

12 Musical passages for beginners? (8) 15 Discharge from the army (7)

16 Leader seen as part of America’s troubles (6) 18 Mother and boy in the building trade (5)

19 Gives us directions for Customs? (4)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS 1 Civility (8)

5 Praise highly (4)

9 Large wading bird (5)

10 A soft leather (7)

11 In the best of health (3,2,1,6) 13 Melt down (6)

14 Elated (6)

17 The press (6,6)

20 Earnestly emotional (7)

21 As a total (2,3)

22 Vain (4)

23 Ineffectual (8)

DOWN

1 Play’s actors (4)

2 Impossibly ideal (7)

3 Suffer heavy defeat (4,1,7) 4 Gregarious (6)

6 Audibly (5)

7 Scatter (8)

8 Praise extravagantly (3,2,2,5) 12 Scribblings on walls (8) 15 Shock grossly (7)

16 Stern (6)

18 Up to the time of (5) 19 Expression of regret (4)