the crossword

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 As worn in the depression? (6,4) 8 One fat round Scotsman (5)

9 It’s useless shielding a bad crook (7) 10 What is used to control the horse is in it (7)

11 Jack found in church we hear (5) 12 Fancy us to be stupid (6) 14 Properly dressed soldiers are (2,4) 17 Spanish wine jar I smashed when empty (5)

19 Product of a fruitful harem? (7) 21 A job for the tinker on the way (7) 22 Booked with prejudice (5) 23 Amazon country? (2-4-4)

Down

2 Divided about design for dress (7) 3 Give someone a painful reminder? (5) 4 Foreign capital obtainable at the tobacconists (6)

5 Use suntan lotion - it helps in the rain (7) 6 A topping decoration (5)

7 Never ate it turning obstinate (10) 8 Impressive print of thigh or lap perhaps (10)

13 Space for some oar movement (3,4) 15 I adopt a Latin form of language (7) 16 A grim situation on board (6) 18 Frequently expressed as decimal (5) 20 Part of a jacket to copy in a fifty-fifty arrangement (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Conclude successfully (10) 8 Aerobatic trick (5) 9 Puff up (7)

10 Clique (7) 11 Wireless (5)

12 Take possession of (6) 14 Unsteady movement (6) 17 Terrible (5) 19 Obliquely (7)

21 A rattling noise (7) 22 Parcel out (5)

23 Dull (10)

DOWN

2 Corrosive (7) 3 Webfooted river animal (5) 4 First coat of paint (6) 5 Conflagration (7) 6 Secret store (5) 7 Unravelling of book’s plot (10)

8 Inviolable (10)

13 Prudent (7)

15 Incompetent person (7) 16 Part of a gun (6) 18 Physically weak (5) 20 English poet 1795-1821 (5)