THE TAKE-A-BREAK CROSSWORD
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS 7. At six, reshape lino using instrument (6) 8. More fiery hero, overwrought about race (6) 10. Retains intoxicating wine (7) 11. Pinched from a Kent tip (5) 12. Sold at an auction (4) 13. Book without ruler on shelf (5) 17. Back-stab over hot pools (5) 18. Beat friends up (4) 22. Play in Channel Islands may be somewhat prickly (5) 23. Doped nag with form may take a dive (7) 24. Backing novice in gin scandal (6) 25. Stick the broken head on again (6)
DOWN 1. It’s mean to declare one’s years (7) 2. With enemy on the turn, about to come into wealth (7) 3. Violet hid in cover; she’s black and blue (5) 4. Italian river with jetty may rate a card? (7) 5. Put money on winning post? (5) 6. Edge bachelor onto skate-park (5) 9. Create a dress, but it’s merely slap dash (9) 14. Calm chap awaiting op? (7) 15. Piano with awful rumble – he’ll look at the pipes (7) 16. Top bowler? (7) 19. Rise up after undoing laces (5) 20. Taken with afternoon tea at seat of kings (5) 21. Different types of timber from the forest (5)
QUICK CLUES YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
Across 7. Soften (6) 8. Soak (6) 10. Least (7) 11. Blend (5) 12. Ogle (4) 13. Comic (5) 17. Defame (5) 18. Dam (4) 22. Cloth (5) 23. Vocation (7) 24. Crush (6) 25. Climb (6) Down 1. Prickly shrub (7) 2. Cover (7) 3. Dwarf (5) 4. Disintegrate (7) 5. Trap (5) 6. Robber (5) 9. Crisis (9) 14. Testifier (7) 15. Convey (7) 16. Calamity (7) 19. Melting snow (5) 20. Cancel (5) 21. Joy (5)
QUICK Across 1 Court 4 Caustic 8 Natural 9 Spurn 10 Tilt 11 Pedantic 13 Drab 14 Flue 16 Assorted 17 Halt 20 Inept 21 Portico 22 Nunnery 23 Tongs Down 1 Constellation 2 Until 3 Tart 4 Caller 5 Unstable 6 Trustee 7 Conscientious 12 Garrotte 13 Discern 15 Deeply 18 Align 19 Grit
CRYPTIC Across 1 Bacon 4 Sweater 8 Amnesia 9 Ennui 10 Tier 11 Stations 13 Spot 14 Miss 16 Umbrella 17 Pine 20 Douse 21 Cabbage 22 Needles 23 Exert Down 1 Beast of Burden 2 Canoe 3 Nose 4 Smarty 5 Electric 6 Tenuous 7 Reinstatement 12 Foretell 13 Subsume 15 Slacks 18 Image 19 Able