THE TAKE-A-BREAK CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1. Gin not all knocked back (4) 8. Unable to read, as I shall repeat (10) 9. Not topping up the battery for nothing (8) 10. It’s not hard thus to take short measure (4) 12. Story about abstainer is idle talk (6) 14. Divers lose moisture in the golden warmth (6) 15. Didn’t dissent from an insatiate longing (6) 17. Red and having had a hole mended (6) 18. Ring missing from instrument 6 may have (4) 19. Many too old for insurance risk (8) 21. Resistance to work taking place (10) 22. The stronghold is obviously not to be lost (4) DOWN 2. The correct point of view is neither acute nor oblique (5,5) 3. Mole is result of pastry given to redhead (4) 4. Fish has one in position (6) 5. Points reached by actors, perhaps (6) 6. He’d take a liberty if he could (8) 7. Political radicals went out (4) 11. Set machine alight: it fights the deeds of arsonists (4-6) 13. Time of the first house-boat party? (3,5) 16. Mistakenly cede it through guile (6) 17. Do dive: it’s empty (6) 18. Cut off many who go one leg (4) 20. The class is wild (4)

QUICK CLUES

Across 1. Hew (4) 8. Uneducated

(10) 9. Passage (8) 10. Scoff (4) 12. Prophet (6) 14. Treat (6) 15. Ridiculous (6) 17. On fire (6) 18. Aperture (4) 19. Purity (8) 21. Scruples (10) 22. Reed (4) Down 2. Upright (10) 3. Jetty (4) 4. Vow (6) 5. Stiffen (6) 6. Felon (8) 7. Adorn (4) 11. Diastrous (10) 13. Politeness (8) 16. Fraud (6) 17. Begone (6) 18. Sin (4) 20. Row (4)

FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS

QUICK Across 7 Again 8 Idolise 9 Neglect 10 Cacti 12 Quarrelled 15 Overlooked 18 In-law 19 Rostrum 21 Honours 22 Colon Down 1 Cannelloni 2 Barge 3 Knee 4 Bitter 5 Concrete 6 Piccolo 11 Indictment 13 Unlawful 14 Recline 16 Ogress 17 Urals 20 Sick CRYPTIC Across 7 Under 8 Another 9 Stencil 10 Drink 12 Drawingpin 15 Malingered 18 Naive 19 Madness 21 Ill turn 22 Aisle Down 1 Nurseryman 2 Adder 3 Eric 4 Callow 5 Condense 6 Shrimps 11 Kingfisher 13 Runner-up 14 Plainly 16 Ermine 17 Cease 20 Deal