the crossword

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Missionary who can handle a spoon? (7) 5 Estella’s admirer was given it - the bird (5) 8 Perspiring right behind the quarry? (3,2,3,5) 9 Woolly lot of wild geese (5) 10 On the first of May Elaine changes her name (7) 11 Score confused with a gross (6) 12 The academic field (6) 15 Western leader changes with the wind (7) 17 Sailor a short distance nearer the stern (5) 19 Little wonder! (6,7) 20 They admit being swingers (5) 21 Quickness of the hand is unimportant we

hear (7)

DOWN

1 She is in being and remains here (5) 2 Where to find time by the clock apparently (2,3,4,2,2) 3 A number of workers in possession (7) 4 Give someone a lift from the cemetery (6) 5 Plate gets broken - a bit of a bloomer (5) 6 Good diction perhaps but it can cause offence (5,8) 7 They provide courses for farmworkers (7) 11 Town crier’s profession? (7) 13 A big hit; poetry that is fashionable (1,2,4) 14 Assumes as one’s own? (6) 16 It originally described a year in Rome (5) 18 Test the patience of a good man at a meeting (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Fixed regular salary (7) 5 Impair quality of (5) 8 Unintentionally (13) 9 Gruesome fiend (5) 10 Painstaking (7) 11 Handwriting (6) 12 For all to see (6) 15 Soothe (7) 17 Malicious burning of property (5) 19 Finished (4,3,6) 20 Produce as profit (5) 21 What remains (7)

DOWN

1 Discernible change in opinion (5) 2 Pitiably bad (2,1,5,5) 3 Cover completely (7) 4 Straightforward (6) 5 Absolute (5) 6 Crazy (3,2,4,4) 7 Constancy (7) 11 Readiness for duty (5-2) 13 Paltry sum (7) 14 Seller (6) 16 Give as prize (5) 18 Gentle push (5)

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