THE CROSSWORDS
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Fanciful aim maybe to drink tea; possibly about four (11)
9 Loiters around Portuguese resort (7) 10 Whom some call a heavenly being (5) 11 Goodbye to depression (4)
12 Overall advice to the gardener with poor soil (3-5)
14 The occupant is at home with his wife (6) 16 Go into service? (4,2)
18 The odds are that it’s almost lunchtime (3-2-3)
19 Where to see the Taj Mahal in a gracious setting (4)
22 Moslem leader said to be virtuous (5) 23 Break into or break under it (7)
24 It rises or falls to some degree (11)
DOWN
2 Where drivers stop (5)
3 Habit to boast about (4)
4 Famous London columnist (6)
5 It can let actors down on stage (4,4)
6 He was bound to serve his master (7) 7 Request from a confident operator or an eager heir? (5,2,2,2)
8 He checks the last move when he wins (5,6)
13 Is he in no hurry to act? (8)
15 Not a subject put on in advance (7) 17 Colour of one doing badly (6) 20 Reading between the lines perhaps (5) 21 Pen note for doctors to look at (4)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Closely pursued (4-7) 9 Specialist in eye diseases (7) 10 Swift (5)
11 Take notice of (4) 12 Famished (8)
14 Legally bound (6) 16 Defeated (6) 18 Uncommunicative (8) 19 Ponder (4)
22 The cream (5)
23 Avoiding commitment (7) 24 Disagree formally (3,2,6)
DOWN
2 Deep sky-blue (5)
3 Raised platform (4) 4 Regular procedure (6) 5 Wizard (8)
6 Bold feat (7) 7 Attending to every detail (2,3,6) 8 Miscellaneous articles (4,3,4) 13 To abuse (3-5)
15 To attribute (7) 17 Intensely cold (6) 20 Excessive (5) 21 Homeless child (4)