CRYPTIC DOUBLE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Holding back drastic

ruler (4)

4 Big star treading

awkwardly (3,5)

8 Lob map over with

self-assurance (6)

9 Stitch certain to grip

you French (6)

10 Bear your gift? Not

half! (4)

11 River ahead of one

American emperor (8) 13 Conventionalised novel

operatic style (13)

16 Ignored a fancy dress

material (8)

19 Warms up, removing

starter, then dines (4) 20 Forest keeper phoned

the Queen (6)

22 A press battering for

Britney? (6)

23 Barely at conflict with

deception (8)

24 Property minus circle and gallery in a theatre (4)

DOWN

2 Fan who’d drink strong

ale (9)

3 With more space and more watery eyes, say (7)

4 Mechanical man kept

in Polperro bothy (5)

5 Don’t follow orders, then cry, given E in homework (7)

6 Carry out a grave

duty (5)

7 No right to use this

conjunction (3)

12 Relate changes and German hugged just the same (9)

14 Hospital attendant’s

tidy (7)

15 Lettuce that can damage a steamer? (7)

17 Rage when given sausage, but no starter (5)

18 Lease out studio

stand (5)

21 Some sages grow

older (3)

QUICK

ACROSS

1 Paper measure equivalent to five hundred sheets (4) 4 Exercises for developing strength in the arms and shoulders (5-3)

8 Waste (6)

9 Dull heavy

blows (6)

10 In the company

of (4)

11 Second person reflexive pronoun (8)

13 Heeded (4,9)

16 Branch of mathematics based on the work of Euclid (8)

19 Humble (4)

20 Drive casually

along (6)

22 Warders at the Tower of London (6)

23 Makeover gurus (8) 24 Join by melting (4) DOWN

2 Get rid of (9)

3 Articulated

silently (7) 4 Sanctity (5)

5 Appear very keen (7)

6 Fastens, seals (5)

7 Seed of a fruit (3)

12 Opposite of ‘tightness’ (9) 14 Torn and ragged clothing (7) 15 Vacation (4,3)

17 Mineral element (5)

18 Repeatedly falls and

rises (2-3)

21 Dismissed at cricket (3)