the crosswords

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Appear late for public honour (3,2,5) 6 Beat severely in return game (4) 10 A papal order to cause dismay (5) 11 Actor involved in the drama is aiming to please (9) 12 Animal feed held in tumbledown barn and pound (4,4) 13 Burdened the boy with directions (5) 15 Left to resign in chaos, hangs around in hope (7) 17 No answer (7) 19 He mingles with the crowd to get food (7) 21 A word of praise (7) 22 Image to carry on the first of March (5) 24 Reasonably intelligent (8) 27 Pretty tight though in good running order (4-5) 28 Stray around in woods perhaps (5) 29 A step up the ladder is called for (4) 30 Looked happier when the light improved? (10)

DOWN

1 Best part of the metal (4) 2 Artificial language provides neat prose (9) 3 Material from New York not put on in London (5) 4 They’re associated with heads and tails (3,4) 5 A paid informer (7) 7 Round hole egg-shaped (5) 8 As taken by a parachutist? (6,4) 9 Factors in debt-collection (8) 14 Time will be on its side (5,5) 16 Poem done in my break (8) 18 Jack possibly is one who carries weight (9) 20 His depredations affect the

stockholder (7) 21 Meaning to follow, being

sheepish (7) 23 It is in fact a long claw (5) 25 Inlay having three points in it (5) 26 Push piano against the bar (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 World’s fourth largest island (10) 6 A national emblem (4) 10 To separate (5) 11 Harm to reputation (9) 12 Unassisted vision (5,3) 13 Sloping sharply (5) 15 Utterly wicked (7) 17 Without wide variations (7) 19 Admit to be true (7) 21 To utter (7) 22 A heavy very dark wood (5) 24 A legislative body (8) 27 Military campaign of attack (9) 28 Physically weak (5) 29 To hinge (4) 30 Watchful against danger (2,3,5)

DOWN

1 Regret absence of (4) 2 Departure from planned course (9) 3 Rocky ravine (5) 4 Grief (7) 5 Morally strict (7) 7 Put in a bank (5) 8 Collapse emotionally (2,2,6) 9 Forceful persuasion (8) 14 Quit through loss of nerve (7,3) 16 Singly (3,2,3) 18 Formidable older woman (9) 20 Prevarication (7) 21 Implore (7) 23 Propose (5) 25 A secret criminal society (5) 26 Surfeit (4)