THE CROSSWORDS

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Stained as an alternative (7)

4 Expression of disapproval by motorists or Scotsmen (5)

7 Look for back-spin (4)

8 What is needed for struggling wee runts? (3,5) 10 Deduces that the tour season has been ruined (7,3)

12 He composed a feature about work (6)

13 New ethics people find irritating (6)

15 Sends a plea for reconstruction of seaside walks (10)

18 Place set aside for development (4,4)

19 A member of the opposition in Roman times (4) 20 Be quiet and help with the dish washing (3,2) 21 Properties on the American Atlantic seaboard (7)

DOWN

1 Badly riled, he’s not keen to work (5)

2 Chair of North Sea organisation (8)

3 Got up smartly (6)

4 Thus Indian gets confused by the vernacular (10)

5 Personal claim which turns sour (4)

6 Arab leaders give one the shivers, by the sound of it (7)

9 A comedians’ outing is usually good for a laugh (5,5)

11 Question commonly posed by a detective novel (8)

12 One note loud and two not clear (7) 14 Discordant vocal note in a shady nook (6) 16 Some people investigating enemy secrets, initially (5)

17 Wear for the fight (4)