TWO-SPEED CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Dad holds Rik’s spice (7) 8 Tuna mixed fuel in bin (7) 9 Ungenerous and small, like

a fairy (7) 10 After a short time the ceremony becomes banal (5) 11 Verbally stop girl using slow

cooker (4-5) 14 Stage plays, when following a little drink (6) 15 Left in team to make

angled move (5) 16 Priest designed a mark of

rank (6) 20 Insert counter I’d fashioned (9) 23 Come back about mongrel

(5) 24 Rests with crawlers (7) 25 I would myself twitch about love, which is daft (7) 26 Lose oar at sea in spray (7)

DOWN

1 Overlook gorge alongside

(4,2) 2 Friend on top getting pale

(6) 3 I’d take one instant to take

up jargon (5) 4 Detest sailor with brass

instrument cut short (5) 5 Stark gold trees uprooted

(7) 6 Assert positively it’s a

strong business (6) 7 Embeds in collections,

perhaps (6) 12 Strange name following an

untruth (5) 13 Loafer left in dire mess (5) 15 Ghostly drinks apparently

(7) 16 Country providing rabies

treatment (6) 17 Flinch from wind again (6) 18 Assured modification without a form of pressure (6) 19 Stand beyond junction with

plant (6) 21 A Scot composed opera

(5) 22 More comfy if you take the

top off tree (5)

COFFEE TIME ACROSS

1 Red spice (7) 8 Variety of tuna (7) 9 Ungenerous (7) 10 Banal (5) 11 Method of cooking (4-5) 14 Stage plays (6) 15 Creep crabwise (5) 16 Band (6) 20 Bring in (9) 23 Happen again (5) 24 Arachnids (7) 25 Imbecilic (7) 26 Spray can (7)

DOWN

1 Disregard (4,2) 2 Anaemic (6) 3 Set phrase (5) 4 Detest (5) 5 Bare, harsh (7) 6 Agree (6) 7 Embeds (6) 12 Strange (5) 13 Lazy type (5) 15 Ghosts (7) 16 Balkan republic (6) 17 Cower (6) 18 Coercion (6) 19 Prickly flowered plant (6) 21 Puccini opera (5) 22 Basket willow (5)