Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same.

Cryptic clues ACROSS

1 Charm of mother’s bed (6) 4 Strike-breaker in his

cabinet (4)

7 Lied about being lazy (4)

8 Rise of a perfume (6)

9 Predator in the other

nest (4)

10 Maiden’s attendant (4)

12 Inclination to be corrupt (4) 14 Join a religious man (3)

16 Feathery snake? (3)

17 Mean to change handle (4) 20 Midge has tang, on

reflection (4)

23 Surgeon’s desire (4)

24 Hear silent order (6)

25 The French find Virginia hot

stuff (4)

26 Woman has time to get

ingredient (4)

27 Small part of shoe makes

meal (6)

DOWN

1 Intends to find

procedure (5)

2 Fire in container (4)

3 Giant bird article (5)

4 School went ahead with

winter transport (4)

5 Church gets genuine

breakfast (6)

6 Bishop left to finish

mixture (5)

11 Time to order something (4) 13 Ant walked up eastern

feature of Sicily (4)

15 Joke about leg to some

geese (6)

16 Depressed by second type

of music (5)

18 Finally doesn’t finish a

book (5)

19 Heard note from a

singer (5)

21 Tidy in one attempt (4)

22 Cease sending post (4)

Quick clues ACROSS

1 Lucky emblem (6) 4 Wound’s crust (4) 7 Unoccupied (4)

8 Climb (6)

9 Sea eagle (4)

10 Assistant (4)

12 Crooked (4)

14 Append (3)

16 Constrictor (3)

17 Title (4)

20 Biting insect (4) 23 Encourage (4)

24 Heed (6)

25 Molten rock (4) 26 Animal fat (4)

27 Dinner (6)

DOWN

1 Method (5)

2 Pillage (4)

3 Mythical being (5) 4 Sleigh (4)

5 Type of crop (6)

6 Stir together (5)

11 Unit (4)

13 European

volcano (4)

15 Group of farmyard

birds (6)

16 Genre of jazz (5) 18 Tome of maps (5) 19 Singing voice (5) 21 Smart (4)

22 Desist (4)

Solutions in tomorrow’s Irish Mirror