THE TAKE-A-BREAK CROSSWORD
ACROSS 3. A very plain standard
(9) 8. A never-to-be-repeated occasion (4) 9. Telling job for shopkeepers (9) 10. Ambled into a madhouse (6) 11. Yet people may sit in one (5) 14. Decoys, breaking the rules (5) 15. When it falls, it has the cheek to go on (4) 16. Gives out but sends the money right away (5) 18. Eats some biscuits upstairs (4) 20. They’re used to make a stool (5) 21. Sprinkle water on a small bouquet (5) 24. Mounting a revolt? (6) 25. Usually it’s the best of the entries (5, 4) 26. Spare list (4) 27. Dancer all bare in confusion! (9) DOWN 1. It’s certain one shouldn’t be so sceptical (9) 2. Sharp falls in sweet production? (4, 5) 4. It’s about time for a bit of news (4) 5. Take only what is right? (5) 6. It might be a latent gift (6) 7. Capital punishment? (4) 9. Breed fish, we hear (5) 11. I’m sly, perhaps, and slippery (5) 12. Put down and bore witness about it (9) 13. They impressed a newspaper company (5, 4) 17. It has to be negotiated in flight (5) 19. This column backs one up (6) 22. It counts as a hazard for ramblers (5) 23. It could be for a Malayan vessel (4) 24. The horse ran round the ring (4)
QUICK CLUES YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
Across 3. Make sure (9) 8. Harvest (4) 9. Happy (9) 10. Inexperienced (6) 11. Concise (5) 14. Scholar (5) 15. Speed (4) 16. Killed (5) 18. Grain (4) 20. Attack (5) 21. Cold dish (5) 24. Deadly (6) 25. Highly pleased (9) 26. Stronghold (4) 27. Female tutor (9) Down 1. Steep cliff (9) 2. Compasses (9) 4. Dull (4) 5. Come in (5) 6. Fond (6) 7. Thought (4) 9. Winds in rings (5) 11. Trade-mark (5) 12. A lie (9) 13. To air (9) 17. Eminent (5) 19. Indigenous (6) 22. Pale (5) 23. Roman emperor (4) 24. Minus (4) QUICK Across 1 Clap 3 Reliable 8 Note 9 Graduate 11 Incandescent 13 Credit 14 Stupor 17 Affectionate 20 Eviction 21 Mere 22 Tutelage 23 Busy Down 1 Convince 2 Article 4 Earned 5 Indication 6 Brawn 7 Even 10 Incidental 12 Greenery 15 Plateau 16 Strong 18 Feint 19 Feat CRYPTIC Across 1 Sash 3 Reverend 8 Peal 9 Cheering 11 Have a flutter 13 Reside 14 Wraith 17 Man of letters 20 Emphasis 21 Calm 22 Steadies 23 Stun Down 1 Sapphire 2 Starves 4 Exhale 5 Electorate 6 Elite 7 Digs 10 Hand-to-hand 12 Chessman 15 Inexact 16 Plaice 18 Apple 19 Peas