SOLUTIONS TO YESTERDAY’S PUZZLES

WORD WHEEL: aback, alack, back, backlash, backs, black, blacks, cabal, cabals, calash, calf, calk, calks, casbah, cash, cask, chalk, chalks, clash, flack,

flashback, hack, hacks, halfback, lack, lacks, sack, scab, shack, slack.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 1 Previews. 5 Madcap. 10 Refusal. 11 Emperor. 12 Edged. 13 GoldenEye. 14 Cologne water. 18 Great Western. 21 Hackathon. 23 Houri. 24 Atlases. 25 Opulent. 26 Spyder. 27 Streamer.

DOWN: 1 Parker. 2 Effigy. 3 Inside Out. 4 Wild goose chase. 6 Apple. 7 Corvette. 8 Parterre. 9 Wellington boot. 15 Warehouse. 16 Eggheads. 17 Benchley. 19 Museum. 20 Litter. 22 Aisne.

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD No. 17,341

ACROSS: 1 Unpublicised. 8 Thinner. 9 Vitriol. 11 Propaganda. 12 Guff. 14 Name-drop. 16 Modena. 17 Tic. 19 Hiccup. 21 Cratered. 24 Game. 25 Cumulative. 27 Seize up. 28 Iceboat. 29 Self-starters.

DOWN: 1 Uniform. 2 Panjandrum. 3 Bergamot. 4 Invade. 5 Iota. 6 Epicure. 7 Step on the gas. 10 Life-and-death. 13 Contravene. 15 Pic. 18 Croupier. 20 Combine. 22 Ruinous. 23 Jump at. 26 Leaf.

MAILWORD

ACROSS: 1 Eked. 5 Sprat. 10 Salvo. 11 Arena. 12 Preen. 13 Doves. 14 Alp. 15 Sad. 17 Elk. 18 Myth. 20 Glares. 22 Outlets. 24 Bamboo. 26 Mews. 29 Aga. 30 Two. 32 Goo. 33 Canoe. 35 Alert. 37 Opium. 38 Soars. 39 Nears. 40 Tory.

DOWN: 1 Early. 2 Kleptomania. 3 Eve. 4 Dons. 5 Saddle. 6 Pro. 7 Reverse gear. 8 Anele. 9 Tasks. 10 Spam. 16 Aglow. 19 Hub. 21 ATM. 23 Totems. 24 Bacon. 25 Agape. 27 Worry. 28 Sots. 31 Oast. 34 Our. 36 Loo.*

WORLD’S SMALLEST, HARDEST CROSSWORD — ACROSS: 1 Hub. 4 Mana. 5 Grig. 6 Rpt. DOWN: 1 Harp. 2 Unit. 3 Bag. 4 Mgr.