THE CROSSWORDS
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 There’s not a single woman amongst them (5)
4 Read something aloud or acted it out (7) 8 Pitch into a sailor (3)
9 Press fastener? (9)
10 It’s very hard to be the first man to take on a worker (7)
11 Emily is out to find an Englishman abroad (5) 13 Show around Venice (6)
15 Tasted peculiar and expressed an opinion (6) 18 Firearm part (5)
19 Steps taken by travellers (7)
21 It holds liquid of course (4,5) 23 Individual in the money (3)
24 Possibly reunite those who follow (7)
25 Left port with cargo (5)
DOWN
1 The strength of the current? (7) 2 Talented group of relatives (9)
3 A pie’s turned brown (5)
4 Posted an order to headquarters (6) 5 Stays to endorse a number in some armour (7) 6 A law-breaking instrument (3) 7 Without occupation (5)
12 Timber which may be put to striking use? (9) 14 Reduce each damaged pen (7)
16 Pick out scattered cinders (7)
17 A girlfriend is blazing (6)
18 A prose form that provides a problem (5) 20 Delia’s perfect form (5)
22 In short, last month was a bit of a painful time (3)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Keep hold (5)
4 Fall rapidly (7) 8 Clumsy stupid person (3) 9 Previously mentioned (9) 10 Artist’s range of colours (7) 11 Willing (5)
13 Cooking instructions (6) 15 Idiomatic expression (6) 18 Possibly (5)
19 A sudden inclination (7) 21 Having as profit (2,3,4) 23 After all deductions (3) 24 Combat aircraft (7) 25 Surrender (5)
DOWN
1 Helicopter (7)
2 Hotly pursuing (2,4,3) 3 Of extraordinary size (5) 4 Tried and tested (6)
5 Dig up (7)
6 Extinct flightless bird (3) 7 In the present times (5) 12 Immediately on seeing (2,1,6) 14 Ostensible reason (7) 16 Throw out (7) 17 Healthy growth (6) 18 A decorative design (5) 20 Rice field (5)
22 Trite quotation (3)