Twinplex

No 16,696

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

7 Witty reply in the laboratory (6) 8 Leave with almost all 13 - it’s good news (6) 10 Try to curry favour, being duller (7) 11 What’s wrong with a spinster? (5) 12 We French have intelligence (4) 13 What letters will give us charm? (5) 17 Entertain by offering employment in the morning (5) 18 Chief ocean (4) 22 Brag of seeing snake on street (5) 23 The crime of a receiver (7) 24 Abandon waste land (6) 25 Suit for lovers? (6)

DOWN

1 Desecrate, though in favour of having church (7) 2 Must rat make a bed? (7) 3 Jar where the coal goes (5) 4 Conspicuous absence of furniture (7) 5 Divided city on the Adriatic (5) 6 Violent disagreement causes many to get the whip (5) 9 Cooked fruit used as ammunition (9) 14 Passionate confession that I belong to the Conservatives (7) 15 The breeding of the crews? (7) 16 Strained in time (7) 19 Sailor takes poem home (5) 20Hothead reaches planet only to find it’s a bog (5) 21 This proposal just isn’t on (5)

SIMPLE CLUES ACROSS

7 Sharp reply (6) 8 NT book (6) 10 Praise (7) 11 Incorrect (5) 12 Reason (4) 13 Short period (5) 17 Divert (5) 18 Principal (4) 22 Brag (5) 23 Violation (7) 24 Infertile region (6) 25 Vital organs (6)

DOWN

1 Vulgar (7) 2 Layer (7) 3 Shred (5) 4 Remarkable (7) 5 Separate (5) 6 Conflict (5) 9 Ammunition (9) 14 Desirous (7) 15 Social conduct (7) 16 Extreme (7) 19 Residence (5) 20 Swamp (5) 21 Tender (5)