Double Crossword
ACROSS
CRYPTIC CLUES 1 Global hotline delving right into the issue (6) 5 A fictional film about a resort near Naples (6) 10 Spell the thing out in Scrabble after a drinking session (5,2,3,5) 11 Remains lean (4) 12 Newcomers foil the skittish (10) 14 Sponger that airs out in 3-down (8) 15 Colour of boiling oil was kept in check (6) 18 Plug breach when floating (6) 19 Negative views about mixing woad at this time (8) 22 Natural alternative to cleaning (10) 24 Handle clumsily with unlimited use of the umlaut (4) 26 Give pine carrier out to climber (8,7) 27 Refuse to accept his first defeat (6) 28 Bother flipping and burying a plant (6)
DOWN
2 Record holder from computer terminal is in abandoned garret (9) 3 Head a pet project (4) 4 Hardened criminal on Greek island (8) 5 A cunning trick to speak for a period (6) 6 Let down when cheating in claim at times (10) 7 Boil off central solution from leaf (5) 8 Open University with prawn cocktail (6) 9 Stake one’s claim with brazen stares (6) 13 Former medicine in elements of aid at sea (10) 16 Breed that secures, in Hollywood, soap production (5,4) 17 Month to hold on before the culmination of heavenly kingdom (8) 18 Bay for final score after vocal performance (6) 20 Smugly avoiding every other test when it’s oppressive (6) 21 Polish is the spoken language (6) 23 Point of the buckthorn (5) 25 Sounds of empty stomach (4)
ACROSS
QUICK CLUES 1 Acid test (6) 5 Unassuming, self-effacing (6) 10 Collection of European territories, founded in 800 and abolished in 1806 (4,5,6) 11 Asks for charity (4) 12 Hollywood’s city (3,7) 14 Mixed drink (8) 15 Bird of prey (6) 18 Remuneration (6) 19 Veil, envelop (8) 22 Showing no thanks (10) 24 Soft feathers (4) 26 Uncomplicated, direct (15) 27 Relating to the nose (6) 28 House with two apartments (6)
DOWN
2 Irrational (9) 3 The Red Planet (4) 4 Figurative, allegorical (8) 5 Handbook (6) 6 Study of human populations (10) 7 Sound of bagpipes (5) 8 Suffering from an irrational fear or aversion (6) 9 Time of the year (6) 13 State of extreme hunger (10) 16 Confectionery made from cacao seeds (9) 17 Swallowed up (8) 18 Racket sport (6) 20 Lay bare (6) 21 Deadly (6) 23 Circumference, waistline (5) 25 Bundle up in paper or cloth (4)