THE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Cold game? (6,5) 9 Excuse the introduction (7) 10 Pure conversion into Eastern currency (5) 11 It helps to make shoes wear well (4) 12 Offer for money (8) 14 Hired hands? (6) 16 Stop in the name of the law (6) 18 Youth with no head for multiplication (8) 19 Just a French mother (4) 22 Gold piece is circular (5) 23 Where in December it really can be hot (7) 24 It may be taken as an indication of health (11)

DOWN

2 Schemes thrown aside (5) 3 Bound to mean a change of diet (4) 4 A quick reply from the laboratory? (6) 5 Go into liquidation when working hard (8) 6 Put out in unusual transport (7) 7 Diligence with which one may seek a job (11) 8 A style we had remodelled acts as a guide (5,3,3) 13 Period added to the end of a sentence (4,4) 15 Can I provide a friendly solution? (7) 17 Conclude with a feature on charm (6) 20 In which one is mistaken (5) 21 Number in an outfit worn by Scotsmen (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Even so (4,3,4) 9 Visual (7) 10 A tropical stone fruit (5) 11 Modify (4) 12 Person ideally suited to another (8) 14 ‘The Desert Fox’ (6) 16 Scattered (6) 18 A salve (8) 19 Prepare for publication (4) 22 Hold sway (5) 23 Living in water (7) 24 Miscellaneous articles (4,3,4)

DOWN

2 Emit audibly (5) 3 Intuitive discretion (4) 4 Insincere (6) 5 Pretend to feel (8) 6 Everyday (7) 7 Be wildly enthusiastic (2,9) 8 Fall apart (4,7) 13 End of the line (8) 15 Humanity (7) 17 Fruitlessly (2,4) 20 Obsolete (5) 21 Victim of deception (4)