Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Quiet lift gets commendation (6) 4 Officers’ room in confusion (4) 7 Not far from one argument (4) 8 Firework found in salad (6) 9 Press club (4) 10 Terribly neat feature of Sicily (4) 12 Worry about race (4) 14 Originally called in one engineer (3) 16 Last word from the cricket? (3) 17 Mary upset the men (4) 20 Wonderful penalty (4) 23 Root vegetable in his pudding (4) 24 Intended money to lose direction (6) 25 Confused loser lost right to be alone (4) 26 Owing to student conflict (4) 27 Relaxed in desert conditions (6)

DOWN

1 City for cavorting pairs (5) 2 Marched around building (4) 3 Come in from barren terrain (5) 4 Chap has one chief (4) 5 Darren’s off on a mission (6) 6 Feeling that may be common (5) 11 Some time in Outer Mongolia (4) 13 Man of balance (4) 15 Deny it’s rubbish (6) 16 Established beads are used (5) 18 Mention freer arrangement (5) 19 Ted’s worried about European horse (5) 21 Lazy-sounding hero (4) 22 Midge has unexpected tang (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Extol (6) 4 Untidy state (4) 7 Close (4) 8 Spaceship (6) 9 Metal (4) 10 European volcano (4) 12 Attention (4) 14 Born (3) 16 Leave-taking word (3) 17 Military force (4) 20 Sunny (4) 23 Potato (4) 24 Husband-to-be (6) 25 Flatfish (4) 26 Contest (4) 27 Paused (6)

DOWN

1 European capital (5) 2 Curved structure (4) 3 Go in (5) 4 Principal (4) 5 Chore (6) 6 Feel (5) 11 Expression (4) 13 Man’s name (4) 15 Disobey (6) 16 Founded (5) 18 Allude (5) 19 War-horse (5) 21 Object of worship (4) 22 Biting insect (4)