TWO-SPEED CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Pen line is hard to be classy (7) 5 System meant to hold back ant (5) 8 Garden tools heading off male ducks (5) 9 Worryingly long snake outside Italian city (7) 10 Shroud shops in London? (4,4) 11 Bare getting up into bed, uncovered (4) 13 Endless dispute turned silly (6) 15 Ointment produced by soft wood, ending in calm (6) 18 Told to listen at this point (4) 19 Fuel what’s expected, a smell rising (8) 22 Break instrument over Lawrence (7) 23 Take on and compete regularly (5) 24 Snoops in casinos, essentially (5) 25 Nurseryman who works extremely hard? (7)

DOWN

1 Difficulties with fights round back of house (7) 2 Bumpkin given fine during endless shout (5) 3 Mansion I converted causing sleepless state (8) 4 Have trouble moving bishops in tricky situation (6) 5 Some feel sure that they’re fish (4) 6 Nags mum, perhaps, for large bottles of champagne (7) 7 Make fun of model, and relax (5) 12 Just open a piece of meat up for prince (8) 14 Eradicates rotten sprout, nothing eaten (7) 16 Church parson I deserted (7) 17 Rotter has nasty urge (3,3) 18 Come equipped with new shelter (5) 20 Defy female hoodlum (5) 21 Jokes, they leave you speechless (4)

COFFEE TIME

ACROSS

1 In vogue (7) 5 Dialect name for an ant (5) 8 Cads (5) 9 City of northern Italy (7) 10 London West End street (4,4) 11 Unclothed (4) 13 Foolish (6) 15 Medicinal ointment (6) 18 At this place (4) 19 Stove fuel (8) 22 Infringe (7) 23 Choose, settle on (5) 24 Smelling organs (5) 25 Hard worker (7)

DOWN

1 Grazes (7) 2 Rustic person (5) 3 Sleep disorder (8) 4 Faltering walk (6) 5 Adult elvers (4) 6 Champagne bottles (7) 7 Irritate playfully (5) 12 Indian prince (8) 14 Destroys (7) 16 Cathedral (7) 17 Bounder, scoundrel

(3,3) 18 Place of refuge (5) 20 Defy (orders) (5) 21 Muzzles, silences (4)