{ THE CROSSWORDS }

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Group of wild pirates (7)

5 Game many take to (5)

8 One fond of the girls puts damsel in a turmoil (6,3)

9 Note with which one gains admittance (3) 10 Drinks up on board (4)

12 Institutions providing outlets after study (8) 14 He preaches equality before one of the younger generation (6)

15 Deftly done without a splash (6) 17 Salaried position, with stamps provided (4,4) 18 A word for schooldays (4)

21 A celebration that spells trouble (3) 22 Wheelwright’s representative (9)

24 The rate at which oceans recede (5) 25 Prospect denied the introvert (7)

DOWN

1 Skins spelt differently (5)

2 I am in the way, so removed (3)

3 Time to change article (4)

4 Sign of status? (6)

5 See 6 Down 6 and 5 Down: Having a faraway look? (6,3,4,4) 7 A long wandering tale (7)

11 Work in precise fashion with an optical device (9) 13 Even agitato passages may be so written (8) 14 Timber producers of very high standing (7) 16 Oriental wrapper for a book Kipling wrote on love (6)

19 European capital focuses on boom in skiing (5) 20 A favourite around the turf (4)

23 A thousand circular letters? That’s low (3)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 An infectious fever (7)

5 To jeer (5)

8 Pedantic and boring (3,2,4) 9 Large cask (3)

10 Onionlike vegetable (4) 12 Terrible (8)

14 Actually (2,4)

15 Bequest (6)

17 Protection against spying (8) 18 Notion (4)

21 Reverential wonder (3) 22 Loud clamour (3,3,3) 24 Subsequent (5) 25 Questionable (7) DOWN

1 Exemplary (5)

2 One or other (3)

3 Unable to find the way (4) 4 Writhe (6)

5 Lying (8)

6 Beyond control (3,2,4)

7 In the end (7)

11 Competent (9)

13 Very hot day (8)

14 To set up for use (7)

16 Be present (6) 19 Immeasurably deep gulf (5) 20 Humiliating rebuff (4)

23 Cry of a dove (3)