CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1. Cook up produce (11) 6. Cover Eric’s first new

novel quietly (7) 8. She is in Belgium

on assignment (4) 9. 599 middlemen cut

food into cubes (4) 10. Growing or burnt timber

(3) 12. Measure nitrogen in

colliery (4) 13. You say thanks here

initially in America (4) 15. Creature found in most

chief towns (3) 18. Declare in a version

of cricket (4) 20. Shelter in the front

entrance (4) 21. Pioneers bed down

before Sunday (7) 22. One who looks for a

bit of company (11)

DOWN

1. Two graduates hold

key to hot stuff (5) 2. Reportedly you left

third son a bone (4) 3. Spear broken by

copycats (5) 4. Stepped on a sort of

square bar (4) 5. Half of them came

across an old worker (5) 6. Draws another nice set

(7) 7. Bad sailors have wild

parties (7) 10. Broke bread during

the tea break (3) 11. Shelter in the Kingdom

of Bhutan (3) 14. Locals bridge grand bays

(5) 16. Get new chef to

hold tin-opener (5) 17. English leader gets

the right number (5) 19. Elevate the back (4) 20. Inform a bank clerk

without hesitation (4)