the crosswords

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 The Spanish, Italian and English are the best (5) 4 Is tense (7) 8 Add 50% of totals (3) 9 Feline killer? (9) 10 Unnecessary loss of a point irritates (7) 11 Entrance to bay (5) 13 A panel on an aircraft (6) 15 Add salt and pepper as one’s cooking (6) 18 Aimed to confound communications industry (5) 19 Initial letters assembled by friend in the morning (7) 21 A crazy bounder (5,4) 23 Inflammatory talk? (3) 24 Withdraws a direction on grants (7) 25 Tess and I change places (5) DOWN 1 No tea is brewed in this country (7) 2 Feeling so inclined I agree to have the doctor in (2,3,4) 3 We hear forty of the Romans do better (5) 4 Expression that’s right in a particular point (6) 5 See Ivor become caustic (7) 6 Priest taking part in the litany (3) 7 Meeting that may tax a saint? (5) 12 When the play was taken off recently? (4,5) 14 Stretched and was in pain again (7) 16 Vengeance makes sin seem fatuous (7) 17 Sarah’s crazy to worry (6) 18 Silent on second thoughts in making a complaint (5) 20 Cuts down the sail area - and knots (5) 22 Bird is illustrated in the brochure (3)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS 1 Bird’s resting place (5) 4 Enchant (7) 8 Torn piece of fabric (3) 9 Indifference (9) 10 Apparition (7) 11 Much overweight (5) 13 Receptacle for animal feed (6) 15 Set free from captivity (6) 18 Set of beliefs (5) 19 The lilac (7) 21 Double meaning (9) 23 Tedious routine (3) 24 Relate (7) 25 Providential (5) DOWN 1 Low wall along side of bridge (7) 2 Lengthy complicated procedure (9) 3 Place much frequented (5) 4 Look well on (6) 5 Attractive (7) 6 Equality of score (3) 7 Accordingly (5) 12 Odd (9) 14 Country on Black Sea (7) 16 Quite so (7) 17 Allot as share (6) 18 Embrace (5) 20 Regal (5) 22 Except (3)