DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES Across

3. Broken tile I mean to get rid of (9) 8. Flat-iron? (4) 9. State a prerequisite (9) 10. Defence work that comes as a hard blow (6) 11. An air of devotion (5) 14. Used by cars on a Greek island, say (5) 15. Direction from which the astronaut appears (4) 16. Counts and recounts (5) 18. Witnesses a key agreement (4) 20. Slow progress on land, fast in water (5) 21. Not blind prophets (5) 24. Refined engine driver (6) 25. Fatal gale? (5,4) 26. It’s not evident the plaintiff has a quarrel (4) 27. Alexander didn’t - as a flat substitute (5,4)

Down

1. Essential employee in the security business? (3,6) 2. They will spend their time together (9) 4. Ring the swimming bath up (4) 5. He made very valuable contacts (5) 6. Sting to anger (6) 7. It became you (4) 9. Drive easily by the seaside? (5) 11. Medicine balls? (5) 12. Clumsy dolt getting involved with Maria (9) 13. Presumably there is yet hope for art study (5,4) 17. A means of fixing wages (5) 19. Dishevelled street dog (6) 22. Don’t agree that the brute should be reformed (5) 23. Look furtively up and down (4) 24. Pitiably lacking money (4)

QUICK CLUES Across

3. Imminent (9) 8. Merit (4) 9. Linked (9) 10. Writer (6) 11. Clinch (5) 14. Cherish (5) 15. Function (4) 16. Attain (5) 18. Close (4) 20. Corpulent (5) 21. High (5) 24. Claim (6) 25. Vanish (9) 26. Scrutinise (4) 27. Accused (9)

Down

1. Left behind (9) 2. Brotherly (9) 4. Heath (4) 5. Boredom (5) 6. Stevedore (6) 7. Require (4) 9. Cringe (5) 11. Prepared (5) 12. Ability to endure (9) 13. Relying (9) 17. Linger (5) 19. Revolve (6) 22. Lukewarm (5) 23. Mud (4) 24. Daybreak (4)