Double Crossword
ACROSS
1 Reticent, secretive (5-6) 9 Lightweight metal (9) 10 Member of a Turkic speaking minority of Russia (5) 11 Biblical unit of length (5) 12 Inanely (9) 13 Streetcars (5) 15 Under water (9) 17 Australian city, the capital of Victoria (9) 18 Resources, wealth (5) 20 Mottled effect using dabs of paint (9) 23 Tempest (5) 24 Custom, practice (5) 25 In complete agreement (9) 26 Evidence of one’s identity or qualifications (11)
DOWN
1 Small sketch (9) 2 Culpability (5) 3 Burglar, pickpocket (5) 4 Changeless (9) 5 Crude oil (9) 6 Engagements (5) 7 Tap (6) 8 Tattered at the edges (6) 14 Outstanding example of its type (9) 15 Slavery (9) 16 Beautiful and alluring (9) 17 Faulty stroke (6) 19 Indian pastry (6) 21 Biblical patriarch, the son of Abraham (5) 22 Bribery (5) 23 Hindu god (5)
ACROSS
1 Sadly, he is glad to follow boycott in Dacca (11) 9 Not worth bothering about rotten ham, pet realised (3,3,3) 10 Dead on time, like an ounce of mince? (2,3) 11 Read from volume with a nasal issue (5) 12 Takes for a ride while gangster has some shut eye? (9) 13 Come back again where cure tapered off (5) 15 Sincere hater ripped off matted fabric (9) 17 Penny-pinching standard is turning on my passion (9) 18 With laughter, pick out regular bits of verse (5) 20 Study mended fabric that was declared unfit (9) 23 Outfit in a fit of pique? (5) 24 Two below par, with weak heart and gammy leg (5) 25 Variety found in the two streets that are most off beat (9) 26 Hollow speech of farewell (11)
DOWN
1 Yellowish trace oozing from dining coach (6,3) 2 Book of human misbehaviour (5) 3 Only half the speed of some humour (5) 4 Finesse dive on my coal scuttle (9) 5 Timing device moved past two chains, missing the last four (9) 6 American native with less skin cancer (5) 7 Open car as road opens up on another route (6) 8 World travellers with black background (3,3) 14 See Red battle her allies (5,4) 15 Aquiline brick carrier is carrying satisfactory numbers over the finishing line (4-5) 16 I can puree bananas like a gourmet (9) 17 Tidy sum for a mail boat (6) 19 Snobbish couple’s heart was over compassion (6) 21 Believe gentiles had shut up about the wilderness of Israel (5) 22 Nordic sport lacked the leadership of a classical order (5) 23 Weariness after playing nine games around centre court (5)