thecrosswords

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 Finish with incomplete team of players (9) 8 Hesitantly stated a colour and was wrong (5)

9 Raise one’s voice after drink, causing annoyance (7)

10 Search for one drink after another (6) 11 An innate ability to make money (6) 12 It expresses assent and no mistake (3,5) 15 Shoved around in wrong way and chastised (8)

18 Game admission of defeat (3,3)

20 Canal bridge in an industrial town (6) 21 One’s kid supplies supple leather (7) 22 Crook is exposed if the solution is found (5)

23 It knows no customs (4,5)

DOWN

2 A rope twirling offers dramatic entertainment (5)

3 Means to close the joint? (6)

4 Monument not cheap to build (8)

5 It limits the movement of stock (6) 6 Quietly agrees it could be some omen (7) 7 Greatest respect for commercial delivery (9)

11 Moderate team peter out (9) 13 Sweetheart is one entitled to affection (8)

14 His suffering has no legal force (7) 16 Mount perhaps and start on a journey (3,3)

17 His accounts may be all at sea (6)

19 Work I mislaid (5)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS 1 Without hesitation (4,1,4) 8 Pungent bulb vegetable (5) 9 Hobby (7)

10 Ostentatious display (6) 11 Survey of past events (6) 12 Futile (8)

15 Hoodlum (8)

18 Gain (6)

20 Number of votes cast (6) 21 Explorer (7)

22 With minimum of baggage (5) 23 Extravagant exaggeration (9) DOWN 2 Likeness (5) 3 Necessarily involve (6)

4 To a certain degree (8) 5 Bring down (6) 6 Fortress (7)

7 At the scene of action (2,3,4) 11 Sound familiar (4,1,4) 13 Small toothed whale (8) 14 Partial similarity (7) 16 Suave (6)

17 Mix socially (6) 19 Perfect type (5)