PUZZLE 14583

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Top military have reportedly outlawed musicians (5,4) 8 Some find a bikini bizarre in Spanish island (5) 9 Regularly late? Yet sounding chivalrous (7) 10 About eleven come round in a state (6) 11 Tenant in the French diocese (6) 12 Stayed with us erratically, coming once a week (8) 15 It’s all a nice change for the confederation (8) 18 Promising sign of victory is overdue (6)20 Saw distress in her cable (6) 21 Height of a piece of sculpture is about right (7) 22 Traps designed for fish (5) 23 Badly thrashed nothing! It couldn’t be closer (5,4)

DOWN

2 Advance to rear? (5) 3 A division of the church (6) 4 Report the rifle is loaded (8) 5 Aquatic performers of various kinds? (6) 6 Excavate almost everything with the fingers (7) 7 Many awakening us with their revels (9) 11 A dispiriting thing to do? (3,1,5) 13 Lift to reveal switch (8) 14 Like rivers with their beds in the garden (7) 16 They don’t mind their own business (6) 17 Flicker of an electric light? (6) 19 She’s not a graduate either (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Unwavering (9) 8 For this reason (5) 9 Tearfully sentimental (7) 10 Meeting of spiritualists (6) 11 Detective (6) 12 An incendiary (8) 15 Evergreen shrub related to tea (8) 18 Captured (6) 20 Over a wide area (6) 21 In the absence of (7) 22 Cunning behaviour (5) 23 Reduce in status (9)

DOWN

2 Straggle (5) 3 Zeal (6) 4 True to fact (8) 5 Steal (6) 6 At tedious length (2,3,2) 7 One’s utmost (5,4) 11 Notable transformation (3,6) 13 Immediate impression (8) 14 Involve in conflict (7) 16 Rich (6) 17 Originator (6) 19 Harass Solutions to Yesterday’s

puzzles ass persistently (5)