THE CROSSWORDS QUICK CLUES

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS DOWN

1 Piped music (7)

5 It makes things less sharp (5)

8 A bad forecaster (9)

9 Spoil a horse by docking its tail? (3) 10 It flows out of line (4)

12 Excellent worker we like to play cards with (4,4)

14 Person who can’t settle? (6)

15 Marie’s upset by fighting men (6)

17 They will keep on watch in the ship (8) 18 Nelson held her in high esteem, maybe (4) 21 Proceed to a port in India (3)

22 Take the bypass to avoid congestion in Kansas? (5,4)

24 Beer mug I sent for (5)

25 Communicate fast (7)

1 Recipe can prove a hard nut to crack (5) 2 Transport seen from U-boat surfacing (3)

3 Said to be some form of test (4)

4 The bay of the hounds? (6)

5 Criterion followed by a cavalry regiment (8) 6 My amusing upset in the training centre (9) 7 Fresh red rose at the back of the altar (7)

11 Built with care, perhaps, to avoid friction (9) 13 Regarded as having taken no active part (6,2) 14 Some medicine appears to act on wise men (7)

16 A game on which the captain rules (6)

19 Beast of burden going round by a deep gorge (5)

20 Hold the fort (4)

23 Water is about a hundred degrees lower than steam (3)

ACROSS

1 Momentum (7)

5 Concise and pithy (5)

8 To a sickening extent (2,7) 9 Manage (3)

10 German river (4)

12 Physically present (2,6) 14 Suck in (6)

15 Come as natural growth (6) 17 Magnificence (8)

18 Flippantly cocky (4) 21 Purpose (3)

22 Disentangle (9)

24 Sullen (5)

25 Lofty (7)

DOWN

1 Exact likeness (5)

2 Write (3)

3 Unswervingly loyal (4) 4 Inasmuch as (6)

5 Trade (8)

6 Available in case of need (2,7) 7 Act of contrition (7)

11 Onlooker (9)

13 Dull, tiring work (8)

14 North African capital (7) 16 Elusive (6)

19 A thick woollen cloth (5) 20 Eminent female singer (4) 23 Knack (3)