THE CROSSWORDS

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Tom sent round one in the club for cheese (9)

8 Rascal with a strange love urge (5)

9 Music hall medley (7)

10 Time when the hands come together (6)

11 Wizard flier (6)

12 Late find wildly exaggerated (8)

15 An enclosed place might be costlier (8)

18 Move that shortens the game a little? (6)

20 Toiler disposed to belie his nature (6)

21 Left in a state of wretchedness or very near (7)

22 Point to weak track of an animal (5)

23 A theatrical entrance (5,4)

DOWN

2 Saw notice on time (5)

3 Be idle perhaps but ready to eat (6)

4 Broke in to stab a plant expert (8)

5 A scoop for the gardening correspondent? (6)

6 Nimbleness of soldier in Italy on manoeuvres (7)

7 Protect a worker who is accused (9)

11 Lacking a game to play - or rivals (9)

13 Doing without because working (8)

14 Computer screen helps teachers (7)

16 Cattle drives (6)

17 Threaten a devil with something conclusive (6)

19 See I go round a house in the north (5)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 Lumbering (9)

8 A single article (5)

9 In a perfect world (7)

10 Hereditary (6)

11 To distress (6)

12 Perpendicular (8)

15 Indiscriminately (2,6)

18 To the other side (6)

20 Character (6)

21 A makeshift (7)

22 Bout of self-indulgence (5)

23 Genuineness (9)

DOWN

2 Command (5)

3 To numb (6)

4 Mitigated (8)

5 Small harpsichord (6)

6 Melodramatic behaviour (7)

7 Destitute (9)

11 Eminence (9)

13 Glamorous (8)

14 Art of public speaking (7)

16 Anxiety (6)

17 Correct (6)

19 Shrewd (5)