Twinplex

No 16,698

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

3 It’s a disaster in the main (9) 8 Vessels of the Royal Navy in America (4) 9 It’s neither here nor there! (2,7) 10 Approximate length of an informal adieu (2,4) 11 Some light on artificial stuff (5) 14 Come again about the dog (5) 15 Become engaged (4) 16 Essays that are certainly not pointless (5) 18 Miss the French ship (4) 20 Bulb perhaps, strangely lit up (5) 21 Satisfies with a suitable direction (5) 24 Joint holder! (6) 25 He is named for the post (9) Once Britain’s premier garden (4) 27 Furniture dealers are familiar with it! (4,5)

DOWN

1 Our Cyril’s superficially reformed (9) 2 Typical English way to sort out claimings (9) 4 Suspend a mild expletive (4) 5 Place where one may stroll with a personal protection against the weather (5) 6 Free with money (6) 7 A company not out to make money (4) 9 Some liner traffic is sluggish (5) 11 Barriers meant to be overrun? (5) 12 They may be found in reception (9) 13 Young female accompanists (9) 17 Put in a claim for prize money (5) 19 Affected by heat from the Red Sea (6) 22 Opera about Ascot (5) 23 Not quite an ideal thought (4) 24 Close up of a swimmer (4)

SIMPLE CLUES

ACROSS

3 Ruin (9) 8 Vases (4) 9 During passage (2,7) 10 Farewell (2,4) 11 Textile fibre (5) 14 Happen again (5) 15 Net (4) 16 Attempts (5) 18 Girl (4) 20 Flower (5) 21 Encounters (5) 24 Meat pin (6) 25 Receiver (9) 26 Biblical garden (4) 27 Furniture item (4,5)

DOWN

1 Quickly (9) 2 English custom (9) 4 Hover (4) 5 Coat (5) 6 Kidnappers’ payment (6) 7 Penny (4) 9 Inactive (5) 11 Bars (5) 12 Companions (9) 13 Duennas (9) 17 Marker (5) 19 Scorched (6) 22 Opera (5) 23 Notion (4) 24 Secure (4)