Two-speed coffeebreak
Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same.
Cryptic clues ACROSS
1 New maids left sad (6) 4 Strongbox is unharmed (4) 7 Sharp as a group of detectives (4)
8 Make time to overlook (6) 9 Yearn to be extensive (4) 10 Picture one prisoner (4) 12 Wonderful penalty (4) 14 Fired with wrath (3)
16 Animal in glasses (3) 17 Temperature firm at the heart of mildew (4)
20 Appearing to have food (4) 23 Flier right to have a
drink (4)
24 Weaken policeman with
instrument (6)
25 Manage firm exercise (4) 26 Damn vermin (4)
27 Flexible game (6)
DOWN
1 Put off being freed indefinitely (5)
2 Tidy small rubbish tip (4) 3 City can produce language (5)
4 Lois ran to store (4) 5 A professor is a handsome youngster (6)
6 Good score for a bird (5) 11 Cancellation includes room (4)
13 In and around a former empire (4)
15 View affects space and time (6)
16 Bream changes colour (5) 18 Arrangement by command (5)
19 Woman finds the queen transparent (5)
21 God of the roses (4) 22 Frozen in broken umbrella (4)
Quick clues ACROSS
1 Gloomy (6)
4 Secure (4) 7 Corrosive substance (4)
8 Neglect (6)
9 Lengthy (4)
10 Religious image (4) 12 Sunny (4)
14 Anger (3)
16 Donkey (3)
17 Chilly (4)
20 Fruit (4)
23 Ale (4)
24 Water down (6)
25 Deal successfully with (4)
26 Rodents (4)
27 Tree product (6)
DOWN
1 Postpone (5)
2 Kind (4)
3 Roman Empire’s lingua franca (5) 4 Farm tower (4) 5 Beautiful youth (6)
6 Avian predator (5) 11 Tiny biological unit (4)
13 Ancient
Peruvian (4) 15 Viewpoint (6) 16 Fossilised resin (5) 18 Instruction (5) 19 Precipitous (5) 21 Greek deity (4) 22 Insensitive (4)