best Puzzles
Both sets of clues lead to the same answer, revealing in the shaded squares a new movie starring Charlize Theron (6)
STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS
7 Firing a gun (8) 9 Causing distress or sorrow (6) 10 Wicked (4) 11 Turned from liquid into gas (10) 12 Ramp (5) 14 TV, radio, press, etc. (5) 15 Office table (4) 16 Used to be (4) 17 Vicious malice (5) 18 Objects, things (5) 23 Handy, useful (10) 24 Garden tool (4) 25 Chap, man (6) 26 In the open air (8)
DOWN
1 Digging tool (6) 2 A soccer score (4) 3 Lubricated (5) 4 Bend down (5) 5 Administration, control (10) 6 Length of one’s existence (8) 8 Pleased, contented (4) 13 Definitely, surely (10) 15 Sent to a military position (8) 19 Manufacturers (6) 20 Is familiar with (5) 21 A prohibiting vote (4) 22 Ohio is one (5) 24 Chamber, e.g. (4)
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
7 Type of star with a type of pain (8) 9 Soldier in a trailer coming back. That’s very sad! (6) 10 Vile characters represented wickedness (4) 11 OAP averted trouble and disappeared into thin air (10) 12 Coming from Oslo, people use this ramp (5) 14 It’s about a dime for these sources of information (5) 15 Made skilful use, partially, of an office work station (4) 16 We are, briefly, as they used to be (4) 17 Tip redesigned in the Kent area with malice! (5) 18 Things showing the point in swirling mist (5) 23 Being close by is handy (10) 24 Dissolute chap using a tool in the garden (4) 25 Follow, changing second place with a chap (6) 26 Alfresco exits, maybe? (8)
DOWN
1 Wild vole holding up silent tool (6) 2 Ambition to get a log chopped up (4) 3 Creating less friction when drunk? (5) 4 Get down to see there’s nothing in post being diverted (5) 5 Running direction (10) 6 Limit fee, possibly, for one’s duration (8) 8 Happy with mixed oil I removed from a flower (4) 13 Well and truly without dithering (10) 15 Positioned troops with tactic indeed! (8) 19 They create redesigned mask with little hesitation inside (6) 20 Is conscious of votes against we hear (5) 21 Another vote. A blocking vote? (4) 22 Declare a condition (5) 24 Moor up where there’s space (4)