THE CROSSWORD

PUZZLE 15136

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Service is nonetheless no good (8)

5 A girl’s figure may be compact (4)

9 The craft of the Jumblies (5)

10 Bird after a piece for another (7)

11 Mixed conditions in the country (6,6) 13 Claire makes a cake (6)

14 Go looking for a scrap when surrounded

by the enemy (6)

17 There’s no return on it (6,6)

20 Not at home with shy rejected person (7) 21 Philosopher who gets on with soldiers (5) 22 Thus duplicated it’s mediocre (2-2) 23 Support for one who is lying (8)

Down

2 A change of heart for one mother (5) 3 Uses one’s loaf in dealing with ink stains (6)

4 Holiday downpour and what it may do to one’s activities? (8)

5 Bolt or lock the cell door to prevent it (6) 6 Scotsman going it alone; was he wise? (7) 7 Concerns financial gains (9) 11 Sluggard making little progress with a tutor (9)

13 It’s a tree used in a composition (8) 14 We hear a campanologist helps with the washing (7)

16 Remain when in trouble - these fly (6) 17 Ambled into a madhouse (6)

19 Kill a doctor and confess (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Vigorous attack (9)

8 One of the Great Lakes (5) 9 Express objection (7) 10 Base (6)

11 Menace (6)

12 Eternal (8)

15 Innocuous (8)

18 Reason (6)

20 Public disgrace (6) 21 Learned person (7) 22 Workers’ association (5) 23 Fairly good (9)

DOWN

2 A cardinal point (5) 3 Soap suds (6) 4 Disturb (8)

5 Seat of kings (6) 6 Composed (7) 7 Strong dislike (9) 11 Knack (9) 13 Indiscriminate killing (8) 14 Vehicles using road (7) 16 Mourn (6) 17 Southwest African country (6) 19 Beaten path in wilds (5)