DOUBLECROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

3 Dump nitre around in a careless way (9) 8 Prize fruit (4) 9 It’s a shame the rubber has difficulty erasing them (4,5) 10 Animal transport returns with nothing on (6) 11 In which to find men of conviction? (5) 14 Man’s highest state ? (5) 15 Strikes back on board, perhaps (4) 16 Picks out and marks (5) 18 Projected amusement (4) 20 Captures and shoots (5) 21 N. America’s biggest meat producer (5) 24 Hostilities cut capital (6) 25 Decline to accept some advice - it’s a lot of rubbish! (6,3) 26 A beastly place to live (4) 27 This is something between Greece and Turkey (6,3)

DOWN

1 As if tripe could give people an appetite! (9) 2 Light product from the Netherlands? (5,4) 4 Poor design? (4) 5 Crest of a partridge has part missing (5) 6 Exercises make doctors sick inside (6) 7 They’re against motion (4) 9 They entertain armies (5) 11 Base-hearted entertainer (5) 12 Does he give the view of the wheelwright? (9) 13 Expression of annoyance for what you’re doing (9) 17 Security device that breaks up? (5) 19 Little time to note what happened, perhaps (6) 22 Sea that upset the canoe (5) 23 Grant some precedence (4) 24 Dry plates, perhaps (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

3 Arrest (9) 8 Call (4) 9 Playwright (9) 10 Beginning (6) 11 Guide (5) 14 Proportion (5) 15 Daybreak (4) 16 Bond (5) 18 Inferior (4) 20 Haul (5) 21 Indigent (5) 24 Negligent (6) 25 Abandonment (9) 26 Revolve (4) 27 Completely exhausted (9)

DOWN

1 Untainted (9) 2 Copy (9) 4 Separate (4) 5 Send (5) 6 Detestation (6) 7 Flair for detecting (4) 9 Evil spirit (5) 11 Three-score (5) 12 Predatory (9) 13 Non-stop (9) 17 Lustre (5) 19 Alcove (6) 22 Put off (5) 23 Rip (4) 24 Utterly defeat (4)