Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Spry eater developed excess flab (5,4) 8 Great many boys have nothing (5) 10 Confuse by removing top of oar (5) 12 Baby’s drink (3) 13 Follow pet (3) 14 Honest old writer (4) 15 Surface even confused queen (6) 16 Conscious of a battle to the east (5) 18 Hear silent arrangement (6) 20 Exalted figures in the theatre (4) 22 Field of pleasure (3) 23 Father left as a friend (3) 24 Requires new seed to be cultivated (5) 25 Animated a veil badly (5) 26 Turn back - I kindled connections to gas and water (9)

DOWN

2 Petal-shaped dish (5) 3 The others relax (4) 4 Rated wrongly by right businessman (6) 5 Dirge about bank (5) 6 Pedigree shows evidence of murder (9) 7 Subdued reporters in grass (9) 9 Gave professor wrong date (7) 11 County has finished with girl (7) 15 Advantaged with transport (3) 17 You and I organise sale of animal (6) 19 Steel broke in cold conditions (5) 21 Fruit that’s round, as it happens (5) 23 Agreement sounds full (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Car accessory (5,4) 8 Consignments (5) 10 Confound (5) 12 Add up (3) 13 Canine mammal (3) 14 Unwrap (4) 15 Coating (6) 16 Alert (5) 18 Heed (6) 20 Deities (4) 22 Meadow (3) 23 Chum (3) 24 Lacks (5) 25 Breathing (5) 26 Energy suppliers (9)

DOWN

2 Crockery item (5) 3 Pause (4) 4 Dealer (6) 5 Embankment (5) 6 Ancestry (9) 7 Subjugated (9) 9 Bequeathed (7) 11 Irish county (7) 15 Vehicle (3) 17 Stoat-like mammal (6) 19 Semi-frozen rain (5) 21 Martini garnish (5) 23 Alliance (4)

Solutions in tomorrow’s Daily Mirror