THE CROSSWORD

PUZZLE 14915

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 US spies capture the Spanish girl (5) 4 Kind of concrete that takes woven carpets (7) 8 Idiot rising without pressing need (3) 9 He doesn’t have to be smart to fool the birds (9) 10 Get back into the middle of the procession (7) 11 Agree to be keen (5) 13 Songs the Fuhrer heard? (6) 15 Lines of poetry or music (6) 18 I’m illuminated round the edge (5) 19 Put into liquidation? (7) 21 Theatre company object to stage (9) 23 Some brief title for a newt (3) 24 Can a saint have a game of cards? (7) 25 If one delays one won’t make it (5)

DOWN

1 Opportunity given to a number in the church (7) 2 Lear’s wry smile is bright and penetrating (5,4) 3 A short island passage (5) 4 Mixed up Presbyterian not best in this? (6) 5 A feature of singular weather conditions (7) 6 Dry atmosphere? (3) 7 Building a tug? (5) 12 She instructs and her charges are small (9) 14 Values seem set for a change (7) 16 Staff held in a sort of respect (7) 17 Defrosted iceman is seen in the pictures (6) 18 Words in an early Richard Rodgers song (5) 20 Provider of a light fixture (5) 22 Elegant female writer (3)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Also known as (5) 4 Excessive bureaucracy (3,4) 8 A floor covering (3) 9 Apparent worth (4,5) 10 Competitor (7) 11 Plant louse (5) 13 In view of the fact that (6) 15 Cargo thrown overboard (6) 18 A desert (5) 19 An assault (7) 21 Sworn written statement (9) 23 Gesture of assent (3) 24 Small number (7) 25 A thickness of matter (5)

DOWN

1 Lacking purpose (7) 2 Ragged (2,7) 3 Capital of Bulgaria (5) 4 Enumerate (6) 5 Digress (7) 6 Small piercing tool (3) 7 Edit to remove errors (5) 12 Payment made to buy silence (4,5) 14 Very much (2,3,2) 16 Bullfighter (7) 17 Feel astonishment (6) 18 Anger (5) 20 Unqualified (5) 22 Devotee (3)