the crossword PUZZLE 15039

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 Fit to do the job with reservations (9) 8 Architectural highlight (5) 9 Squirm uneasily about a title (7) 10 He attacked the Romans but turned tail at first (6) 11 Be leading the deer that’s slow (6) 12 Intrude by chance or mistake (8) 15 Presumably he was happy while painting (8) 18 Put in charge again (6) 20 Do they keep to the beaten track? (6) 21 Fish and turtle photographer? (7) 22 Sailors enter to look round for birds (5) 23 Shop early for capers (9) DOWN 2 Practice gives us time (5) 3 Such a solution is negotiable (6) 4 Just treatment for honest card-players (4,4) 5 Medical expert seen in court through open door (6) 6 Watch; no hands! (7) 7 Straight thinking on what decongestants do (5,4) 11 Buffet escapes bluebottles (9) 13 Dog raves after fruit (8) 14 Object to what sounds like a climbdown (7) 16 Defeat most of the outbreak (6) 17 Moving up students by mistake (4-2) 19 It’s made to contain spectacles (5)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS 1 Almost (4,5) 8 One of the Great Lakes (5) 9 Avoiding commitment (7) 10 Bestow generously (6) 11 Display ostentatiously (6) 12 The open ocean (4,4) 15 Give a list of (8) 18 At the mercy of the current (6) 20 Very hot and dry (6) 21 Before long (2,3,2) 22 Simple gate fastening (5) 23 State of central southeast

US (9) DOWN 2 Such as normally done (5) 3 Arrive (4,2) 4 Short pause for rest (8) 5 Beat severely (6) 6 Prize-fighter (7) 7 At scene of an event (2,3,4) 11 Cock-and-bull story (5,4) 13 Be lenient to (2,4,2) 14 Tolerance in judging others (7) 16 Correctly (6) 17 Third largest planet (6) 19 Roughage (5)