{ THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Posted an order to warehouses (6) 4 Nightingale in Tuscany (8)
9 Possibly deduce it’s extracted (6)
10 Give sorrow or give rage perhaps (8)
12 Not the end of the team (4)
13 Status of a holy man in church (5)
14 Main departures? (4)
17 There’s a lot to be said for having it (4,2,3,3) 20 Small boat may be blown up by pilots (6,6) 23 Spent American notes (4)
24 Steps - quiet ones (5)
25 Jot down the first nine letters (4)
28 French state producing a vine crop (8) 29 Journey to the game (6)
30 A criminal set? (8)
31 Decide to start a colony (6)
DOWN
1 Riding school discipline is a habit that comes with time (8)
2 Fruit no good for a pudding (4,4)
3 A row about it mounts (4)
5 Having no centre of gravity? (5-7)
6 It’s unusual to turn up right on time (4)
7 It’s a necessity to want to exist (4,2)
8 Still rings up, nevertheless (4,2)
11 React badly to girl having a free hand (5,7) 15 More than one bargains for on getting into public transport (5)
16 Allowance cut in proportion (5)
18 Blissfully unaware (8)
19 Many diet perhaps, but this could blow them out! (8)
21 Extra-large shock absorber (6)
22 Valiant choir somehow held a note (6)
26 I am repeatedly uplifted by an operatic role (4) 27 Make way for pedestrians (4)
QUICK CLUES ACROSS
1 Amazement (6)
4 Without employment (8) 9 Flourish again (6)
10 As is expected (2,6)
12 In a competent way (4) 13 Conspicuously virile (5)
14 Beak (4)
17 Without delay (2,5,5)
20 Highly controversial matter (5,7) 23 The same (4)
24 Lower down on the page (5) 25 Available (4)
28 A cause of worry (8)
29 Stickler for tradition (6) 30 Faithful wife of Odysseus (8) 31 Disrespectful in behaviour (6)
DOWN
1 An anticoagulant (8)
2 Writer of fiction (8)
3 Resentment at others’ success (4) 5 Not for publication (3,3,6)
6 A rounded handle (4)
7 A crawling insect (6)
8 Hard and unyielding (6)
11 Blind loyalty (12)
15 Tiny marine organism (5) 16 Abdomen (5)
18 Unsuccessful (8)
19 Of late (8)
21 Senior Christian minister (6) 22 Hold someone back (6)
26 Pre-trial release from custody (4) 27 Cloying sentimentality (4)