THE CROSSWORD

PUZZLE 14859

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Slightly damaged so withdrawn (9) 8 Not an all-American name for a girl (5) 9 Finally decline the use of a lift? (4,3) 10 Holy water in which an egg’s cooked (6) 11 Remove from the side, let expert in (6) 12 Nice ruse turns out to be unsafe (8) 15 He daren’t upset one who follows (8) 18 Things to be done in company (6) 20 It conceals the seamy side of our habits (6) 21 Current optical disorder (7) 22 Support the breaking of a lease (5) 23 Rational converse? (9)

DOWN

2 A flying machine? (5) 3 Joined forces (6) 4 Tearoom without unusually fine coffee ingredient (8) 5 Be up in time for the discussion (6) 6 Clearly sound touring organisation (4,3) 7 Service wrongly aimed at press and TV (4,5) 11 He fails to show up the detect in the return pipe (9) 13 Begin to fix a fight (3,5) 14 Language which is written down (7) 16 Cause irritation right on the joint (6) 17 About eleven come round in a state (6) 19 A doctor and a mother in an exciting story (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Jubilation (9) 8 Take it easy (5) 9 Government’s senior ministers (7) 10 Minimum number required to be present (6) 11 Walk unsteadily (6) 12 In good spirits (8) 15 Self-opinionated (8) 18 Expression of praise (6) 20 Speculative view (6) 21 Impassioned (7) 22 Top of the head (5) 23 Manage to communicate (3,6)

DOWN

2 Circumvent (5) 3 Narcotic (6) 4 Sharply defined (5-3) 5 Complain (6) 6 Elucidate (7) 7 Serving as a warning (9) 11 Assess the situation (4,5) 13 And suchlike (2,6) 14 In an unspecified way (7) 16 Forceful (6) 17 Ingenious (6) 19 Class with common characteristics (5)