TWO-SPEED CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Fellow criminals from cosmic place, disorderly (11) 9 Blade held by Marco, a

rower (3) 10 Requisition for a skyscraper is a tough challenge (4,5) 11 Holiday island is a drain,

surprisingly (8) 12 Metal restraint (4) 14 Rudely curt about the

French knife-maker (6) 16 Avoids young women (6) 18 Gateau rarely contains

subtle emanation (4) 19 Graphite once caused

pressure complaint (8) 22 English boy better at heart given shoulder decoration (9) 23 First woman is discovered

in the vestry (3) 24 Total small railway surface

creates open rural area (11)

DOWN

2 Professional life, English disregarded, for a vocational role (5) 3 Routes I’d rearranged for

one unlikely to win (8) 4 Friend on top getting pale

(6) 5 Press metal (4) 6 Constant objective, a

smaller quantity (7) 7 Devotes to rewriting

scenes or act (11) 8 Despise drop, roughly

inclined (11) 13 Resolution of company

head (8) 15 High wind ripped apart a

function (7) 17 Group of Irish counties producing unusual result (6) 20 A nut is in the lead (5) 21 Group, relatively optimistic,

lands inside (4)

COFFEE TIME ACROSS

1 Abettors (11) 9 Boat paddle (3) 10 Demanding task (4,5) 11 Italian island (8) 12 Be in front (4) 14 Dealer in knives (6) 16 Fails to hit (6) 18 Ambience (4) 19 Graphite (8) 22 Shoulder badge (9) 23 Day before (3) 24 Rural districts (11)

DOWN

2 Nurse, eg (5) 3 Excluded person (8) 4 Ashen (6) 5 Golf club (4) 6 Constant (7) 7 Declares holy (11) 8 Agreeable (11) 13 Solidity (8) 15 Fierce wind (7) 17 Armagh’s province (6) 20 Advanced (5) 21 Family group (4)

PREVIOUS SOLUTION

Across: 1 Sacrosanct; 8 Swarm; 9 Abstain; 10 Treated; 11 Story; 12 Scholarly; 15 Exams; 17 Outplay; 19 Arising; 20 Idles (Idols); 21 Ice-breaker.

Down: 2 Abate; 3 Rematch; 4 Scandalmonger; 5 Noses; 6 Tea cosy; 7 Only; 8 Sett; 12 Swahili; 13 Retsina; 14 Gyms; 15 Edam; 16 Snipe.; 18 Lille.