DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

Across

1 Upstart backing music location lacks finality (7)

5 Stylish, if given time in New York (5) 8 Vagrants wasting time on slopes (5) 9 Layer of earth which beats lubricant (7)

10 Fossil observed outside underground chamber (4)

11 Heel steps back too much (8) 13 Moliere plot involved visual illusion (6,5)

17 Old Italian movement of face, sentimental (8)

19 Some idiot – with him? (4) 21 Japanese therapy – it has us refreshed (7)

22 Bird caught in another onslaught (5)

23 Full up from exotic dates (5) 24 Revitalised area is posh inside, a very large area (7)

Down

1 Most clean up, up before the others (6) 2 Hiker runs with walker (7)

3 No problem, even for Texan spy (4) 4 Current theme put in, out perhaps (2,2,3,6) 5 One pal struggling to get on with French emperor (8) 6 Disobey female hooligan (5) 7 Colour of canary or chicken (6) 12 Stemmed from a handle raised by boy (8)

14 Where to find patients within (7) 15 Credit is doubled, bringing tricky situation (6)

16 Way a New Zealander initially gets a few lines (6)

18 Tom is awfully damp (5) 20 Cleaner fish (4)

QUICK CLUES

Across

1 London football team (7) 5 Clear away (spillages) (3,2) 8 Hard part of bread (5) 9 Coagulate (7) 10 Epic story (4) 11 Carried by ship (8) 13 Establishment offering cosmetic treatments (6,5) 17 Opinionated (8)

19 Tiny jumping insect (4) 21 Tapering stone monument (7) 22 Large area of water (5) 23 Alas (5) 24 Matted, twisted (7)

Down

1 Entry (6)

2 Get cosy (7)

3 Remark upon (4)

4 Voucher for a

prize draw (7,6)

5 Postal-service vessel (4,4) 6 Rod for stirring a fire (5) 7 ___ to, indulge (6) 12 Nerve, cheek (8) 14 Petroleum bore (3,4) 15 Detestable (6) 16 Staffed (6) 18 Insatiable longing (5) 20 Urban settlement (4)