the crossword

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Transport workers (5) 4 He’s angry about the ref being wrong (7) 8 A somewhat selfish spirit (3) 9 Always go for this type of growth (9) 10 But for inflation it would never have gone up (7) 11 Native of Bengal who will do no harm on paper (5) 13 Carbohydrate food makes clothes hard to wear (6) 15 He could get his work done by Friday (6) 18 Light on material (5) 19 Plot developer (7) 21 Salesman with a bargain for a motorist? (9) 23 Addition to the family calls for a drink (3) 24 A shady put-up job (7) 25 Pushing forwards (5)

DOWN

1 Understand woodcutters made playground equipment (7) 2 When weak Ray is moved to hospital (9) 3 Some human ones are canine (5) 4 Warm start aids pups (6) 5 The girl contrived to have lost weight (7) 6 Eggs put in a venison pie perhaps (3) 7 He gave the rondo new form (5) 12 Most agree it could be an eyesore (9) 14 Tin processed peas - they’re savoury (7) 16 Slip into Latin (7) 17 Attack like old ships of the line (6) 18 Short summary concerning capital investment (5) 20 Without a hitch they may take longer (5) 22 Some of the newer recruits go astray (3)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Make progress with little effort (5) 4 Puzzled (2,1,4) 8 Nothing (3) 9 Attack vigorously (5,4) 10 Surrounding (7) 11 Very disagreeable (5) 13 Painful struggle (6) 15 Phlegmatic (6) 18 Power of decision (3-2) 19 Advise (7) 21 Provoke (9) 23 White ecclesiastical vestment (3) 24 Strike out (7) 25 Treat wound with medicaments (5)

DOWN

1 Get in touch with (7) 2 Free (2,7) 3 North American Indian tent (5) 4 Crafty (6) 5 Transversely (7) 6 Belonging to itself (3) 7 Mar (5) 12 Involving maximum effort (4-5) 14 State of feeling (7) 16 French composer of ballets (7) 17 Awkward predicament (6) 18 River of Paris (5) 20 Overturn (5) 22 Undermine (3)

PUZZLE 14987