crossword

USE THE GRID WITH THE CRYPTIC OR THE EASY CLUES, BUT BEWARE: THE ANSWERS ARE DIFFERENT.

EASY CLUES ACROSS

8 Fruit (7) 9 Playwright (9) 13 Due (5) 14 Female relative (5) 15 Convent (7) 16 Shade of red (7) 17 Outing (5) 18 Might (5) 20 Punctuation mark (5) 22 Usual (6) 23 Boundaries (6) 25 Outer covering (7) 27 Error (7) 30 Haphazard (6) 31 Inane (6) 32 Impudence (5) 35 Swell (5) 36 Middle-distance runner (5) 37 Bullfighter (7) 39 Down payment (7) 41 Saying (5) 42 Blunder (5) 43 Poverty-stricken (9) 44 Everlasting (7)

DOWN

1 Season (6) 2 US state (8) 3 Climber (11) 4 Uneven (9) 5 Public facility (7) 6 Point of view (10) 7 Eyot (4) 10 Of the universe (6) 11 Violation of an oath (7) 12 Mediterranean island (6) 19 Crease (7) 21 Seaman (7) 24 Third molar (6,5) 26 Inclination (10) 28 Deadlock (9) 29 Alcoholic drinks (7) 30 Live (6) 32 Classification (8) 33 Core (6) 34 Ape (7) 38 Beat (6) 40 Quarry (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

8 Famous restaurant fully booked? (7) 9 Great fun setting the pinto loose from the pen (9) 13 It gives you a head start (5) 14 The things one’s bumped into backing in (5) 15 Someone stealing something from the nursery (7) 16 The rot’s set in the containers - boxes (7) 17 Caught through the enticement of money (5) 18 When there’s no turning back, prepared for attack (5) 20 “Piece” not “peace” (5) 22 Not all square and knobbly (6) 23 Straighten up and relax (6) 25 As a herbivore, mistake for a flower (7) 27 A job for the fielder on the on side? (7) 30 Thought it’s not on to trap one! (6) 31 Yelled at when in the way again (6) 32 Hell, now he’s coming round! (5) 35 About the rings and how many there are (5) 36 Urge to recruit willy-nilly (5) 37 Free from, when outside (7) 39 To lie back always contains, or will alleviate, the pain (7) 41 Lifting device that’s one among many (5) 42 After you’ve entered, change your mind and cancel (5) 43 On condition that I’d be establishing the truth about (9) 44 I don’t worry about being in charge of elocution (7)

DOWN

1 A bill from the stationer (6) 2 The jumbo-sized cake beside the sponge? (4,4) 3 Not much to look at, dim and downright silly (5,6) 4 Managed to get fired for having made the search (9) 5 Want, when in the money, to ease off (7) 6 Learn, when you gain consciousness and recognise (4,2,4) 7 It’s well worth buying up the brooches (4) 10 Opens up and cleans out (6) 11 Returned the material fabricated (7) 12 The note to the trade union was harsh (6) 19 About to bring in the horse, as directed (7) 21 A bird table with a hole in it (7) 24 Start on that job in some lowly position? (3,4,2,2) 26 Break away from the vessel (5,5) 28 Performing a hit song myself in it - I’m not saying what (9) 29 For a number of cars, it might be going too far (7) 30 Mother took a turn, going all wobbly at one point (6) 32 Struck the other differently up to now (8) 33 Dolly the child needs to have when the parents are out (6) 34 Adds that pads will be strewn around to write in (7) 38 Roar out to bring in the speaker (6) 40 For a high-flier, it’s fun (4)