thecrosswords

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Respond to a plea to go back on the stage (5) 4 An animal must have some means of defence (7) 8 The name of the game? (3) 9 A very important event, by the way (9) 10 Eccentric aunt has setback about disease (7) 11 Not rounds used in an erratic salvo (5) 13 Performs aerobatics in advertising displays (6) 15 US port in a state of inactivity (6) 18 Don’t let little Josephine play it! (5) 19 Jams sold in jars (7) 21 A plain fellow treated like a doormat (7,2) 23 Dropped in for a cold drink (3) 24 Wrings out a price for past wrongs (7) 25 The safe drinking number? (5)

DOWN

1 Recounts the undoing of Laertes (7) 2 A fight precedes the act in reverse order (5,4) 3 Victim on stage embraces tragic Athenian (5) 4 Very much like sauce (6) 5 Fail to include something so I must be corrected (4,3) 6 Some drag out the past (3) 7 Rows produce audible weeping (5) 12 It’s awful to see dad turn up looking weary (9) 14 One who swears or turns into a drunkard (7) 16 Appreciate consideration (7) 17 Passed shuffled cards (6) 18 Cook beats a mixture (5) 20 Thrash about the ring showing little craft (5) 22 Small creature with pointed foot (3)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Pickpockets’ teacher in Oliver Twist (5) 4 Promising (7) 8 Mass of fish eggs (3) 9 Rampage frenziedly (2,7) 10 Smallest of Great Lakes (7) 11 Submerge (5) 13 Physical wound (6) 15 Go beyond (6) 18 Continuously (2,3) 19 Sea captain (7) 21 Central American republic (5,4) 23 Spider’s trap (3) 24 Completely filled (7) 25 Curt (5)

DOWN

1 To pay reluctantly (4,3) 2 Breed of large powerful dog (5,4) 3 River of northwest Africa (5) 4 Mix socially (6) 5 Self-contradictory statement (7) 6 Price paid for services (3) 7 Compare (5) 12 Subdue (9) 14 Act as go-between (7) 16 Hard-wearing (7) 17 Strive for high things (6) 18 Take place (5) 20 Not suitable (5) 22 Undermine (3)