DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES Across

1 In high spirits, editor about fantastic tale ( 6)

4 Company’s ready to be too kind ( 6)

9 Mayday call from the virtuoso soloist ( inits) ( 3)

10 New or ancient repository ( 9)

11 Permission for time off ( 5)

12 Truth, nothing I had but item of information ( 7)

14 Duties involving boiling oats ( 11)

17 Stops around a long time for compensation ( 7)

18 Not appropriate to sleep in it ( 5)

20 The gin ran out, almost a disaster ( 4,5)

22 His kit contains

snow- shoe ( 3)

23 Retain complicated part of the eye ( 6)

24 Smear touch of rosemary into piece of meat ( 6)

Down

1 Fabricate lie, say, without difficulty ( 6)

2 Bewildered in the main ( 2,3)

3 Former partner giving in, we hear – that’s going too far ( 9)

5 Finished, we hear, with eggs ( 3)

6 Dusk makes relative, by the sound of it, depressed ( 7)

7 Worn out at end of contest, one blushing ( 5)

8 Very panicky mixing final paints ( 2,1,4,4)

13 Making a mint! ( 7,2)

15 Crow about doctor with empty talk ( 7)

16 Threatened to enquire about shortened journey ( 2,4)

17 And not after party giver ( 5)

19 Man, say, after a walkway ( 5)

21 Egg turned up in can ( 3)

QUICK CLUES Across

1 Half a diameter ( 6)

4 Slightly coloured ( 6)

9 Cadge ( 3)

10 Over- tanned? ( 9)

11 Colour of army uniforms ( 5)

12 To the centre ( 7)

14 Expertise ( 11)

17 Maker of riding equipment ( 7)

18 Bestow ( 5)

20 Assessed too highly ( 9)

22 Hairstyling product ( 3)

23 Wayward ( 6)

24 Hangs loosely ( 6) Down

1 Reprimand ( 6)

2 Set principle ( 5)

3 Incompetent ( 9)

5 Debt reminder

( inits) ( 3)

6 Non- specific ( 7)

7 Extinct birds ( 5)

8 Two- facedness ( 11)

13 Saturday and

Sunday visitor ( 9)

15 Large animal of the Highlands ( 3,4)

16 Surges ( 6)

17 Stockpile ( 5)

19 Unearth ( 3,2)

21 Score in cricket ( 3)