QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 Monochrome (5-3-5) 10 Vulpine mammal (3) 11 Rot, decomposition (11) 12 Annoying (10) 13 Metal or fabric network (4) 15 Paltry (6) 16 Became rigid or set in a fixed pattern (8) 19 Antipathy (8) 20 Small church (6) 23 Short, sharp punches (4) 25 Painstaking, conscientious (10) 27 Discreet (11) 28 Skillet (3) 29 Immediate, completed within a moment (13)

DOWN

2 Revel indulgently (9) 3 Free enterprise economic system (10) 4 Shrewd, canny (6) 5 Profundity (8) 6 Joint of a quadruped’s hind leg (4) 7 One thousand kilograms (5) 8 Ratify, assert (6) 9 Systematic approach (6) 14 Shadowy outline (10) 17 Off-the-cuff (9) 18 Deerskin shoe (8) 19 Forlorn, pitiable (6) 21 Suffering defeat (6) 22 Exclamation of triumph upon discovery (6) 24 Noble rank (5) 26 Tube in the body (4)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: - 1 Litmus. 5 Modest. 10 Holy Roman Empire. 11 Begs. 12 Los Angeles. 14 Cocktail. 15 Falcon. 18 Salary. 19 Enshroud. 22 Ungrateful. 24 Down. 26 Straightforward. 27 Rhinal. 28 Duplex.

Down: - 2 Illogical. 3 Mars. 4 Symbolic. 5 Manual. 6 Demography. 7 Skirl. 8 Phobic. 9 Season. 13 Starvation. 16 Chocolate. 17 Engulfed. 18 Squash. 20 Denude. 21 Lethal. 23 Girth. 25 Wrap.