THE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS 1 Small, trim and slim (5) 8 A book not easily returned (8) 9 Energy needed for a sales campaign (5) 10 Currently popular individual is actually present (2,6) 11 Meat jelly made with a non-Eastern spice (5) 12 Fashionable name for a tavern (3) 16 A column I will condense into a short paragraph (6) 17 False description of the Tower of Pisa (6) 18 It takes many years to make one (3) 23 Alec’s fresh mount (5) 24 Infantry consisting of a thousand

bowmen (8) 25 Rubbish found in the ship’s bottom (5) 26 Don’t allow to come out (8) 27 Silver corroded quartz (5) DOWN 2 Help is needed after drinks in the

harbour (4,4) 3 The militant’s first summons (8) 4 A sound rule for sinking men-of-war (6) 5 Copywriters are wrongly named (5) 6 A bloomer I’d say possibly (5) 7 Hides relations in ships (5) 12 One note produces anger (3) 13 Sister who stays in a singular state (3) 14 Having for sale an item sold in pairs (8) 15 The whole world finds it illuminating (8) 19 Shun or maybe attack (6) 20 A lot to collect (5) 21 Handles agricultural produce (5) 22 Note it is liable to cut (5) QUICK CLUES ACROSS 1 Waste material (5) 8 Notably (3,5) 9 Give false notion of (5) 10 Disastrous disintegration (8) 11 Maxim as rule of

conduct (5) 12 Visual appreciation (3) 16 Hot water spring (6) 17 Be a spectator (4,2) 18 Crash against (3) 23 Soak in liquid (5) 24 Cooperate (4,4) 25 Intoxicating (5) 26 Askew (8) 27 Fit of depression (5) DOWN 2 Meditate on (4,4) 3 Crucial trial (4,4) 4 Simple, unpretentious (6) 5 High-pitched wind instrument (5) 6 Widespread destruction (5) 7 In complete agreement (2,3) 12 Make mistake (3) 13 Tree with serrated leaves (3) 14 Restrained salesmanship (4,4) 15 Utterly lazy (4,4) 19 Linked by treaty (6) 20 Empty area (5) 21 A hidden disadvantage (5) 22 Author of A Doll’s House (5)