Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Maids somehow left gloomy (6) 4 Long story about a gas (4) 7 Keen sort of diva (4) 8 Creature found in group (6) 9 Yearn to be extensive (4) 10 Picture one prisoner (4) 12 Wonderful penalty (4) 14 Sick of villagers (3) 16 Exclude from pub (3) 17 Flutes surround another instrument (4) 20 Need to rearrange garden (4) 23 Open a container (4) 24 Wish to reside differently (6) 25 Lose rotten seafood (4) 26 Phase pets out (4) 27 Don’t start to talk about baby’s toy (6)

DOWN

1 Force to use the car (5) 2 Thus repeatedly mediocre (2-2) 3 City can produce language (5) 4 Lois ran to the store (4) 5 A professor is a handsome youngster (6) 6 Messenger joins a new set (5) 11 Incentive to have money (4) 13 Lied about being lazy (4) 15 See car delivered to batsman’s place (6) 16 Officers’ money (5) 18 Beneath foreign articles (5) 19 Those people have energy for motif (5) 21 Doctor sees work fall (4) 22 Flavouring that makes cash (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Sombre (6) 4 Prose narrative (4) 7 Eager (4) 8 Creepy-crawly (6) 9 Protracted (4) 10 Religious image (4) 12 Sunny (4) 14 Unwell (3) 16 Ingot (3) 17 Ancient ‘guitar’ (4) 20 Paradise (4) 23 Not quite shut (4) 24 Lust (6) 25 Flatfish (4) 26 Stair (4) 27 Clatter (6)

DOWN

1 Impel (5) 2 Average (2-2) 3 Old school subject (5) 4 Grain tower (4) 5 Beautiful youth (6) 6 Seraph (5) 11 US coin (4) 13 Unoccupied (4) 15 Fold (6) 16 Alloy (5) 18 Below (5) 19 Topic (5) 21 Decrease (4) 22 Herb (4)