THE CROSSWORDS
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS 1 Ladies’ man holding an ancient city office (6) 4 Bird to catch on horseback (6)
9 Food for cattle in Switzerland (7)
10 Strange glee I come across in Belgium (5)
11 A spice having no end of use in savouries (5) 12 Girl who’s pill-shy crying out for treatment (7)
13 Fine steak and a drink on the house (11) 18 Revised list for a retailer in a growing trade (7) 20 A prose form that gives difficulties (5) 22 Children are a contentious point (5)
23 Places visited on vacation or between vacations (7)
24 He acts dumb (6)
25 Converts work into play, perhaps (6) DOWN 1 Song and dance gets little publicity (6)
2 Short summary concerning headgear (5) 3 Fruit that’s new to Capri (7)
5 Marble street (5)
6 They’re unnecessary, pointless, but still pointed (7)
7 Convert me with this belief (6)
8 It may be taken as an indication of health (11) 14 This animal won’t always die a natural death (7)
15 Popped the question after work, but not accepted (7)
16 State in a loud and resolute way (6)
17 Credit is twice provided in an emergency (6) 19 She’s a bit of a siren, evidently (5)
21 Take off from the runway (5)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS 1 Unexpected refusal (6) 4 Instructive experience (6) 9 French vineyard estate (7) 10 Speak (5)
11 Lees (5)
12 Pacify (7)
13 Russian composer (11) 18 Pyrenean republic (7) 20 Fanatical (5)
22 Ascent (5)
23 Something very ugly (7) 24 International agreement (6) 25 Impassioned (6) DOWN 1 Go back (6)
2 Two of a kind (5)
3 Sweet-scented flower (7)
5 Fit out (5)
6 A disappointment (7)
7 Anxiety (6)
8 Egyptian boy-king, died c.1324 BC (11) 14 An analgesic (7)
15 Dutch painter, 1632-75 (7)
16 Surgical instrument (6)
17 Arrival (6)
19 Disprove by argument (5) 21 Penniless (5)