Two-speed coffeebreak
Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same.
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
1 Wire about endlessly doctored placebo (5) 5 Stop, about to relax (5) 9 Previously used in poetry (3) 10 Ramps designed for buggies (5) 11 Gets closer from one arsenal (5) 12 Reduce copper on time (3) 13 Label a game (3) 14 Grain of loathing (3) 16 Sick of pillagers (3) 18 Feeble identification, but clear (6) 21 Always in same version (4)
23 A hut sadly in a state (4) 26 Chief rioted unexpectedly (6) 29 Appearing to have food (3) 31 Delighted with name (3) 32 Charmingly displaying branch (3) 34 Slippery around rim (3) 36 Gone off a place in Italy (5) 37 Canine, excessively hot, returns without ring (5) 38 Firm German wheel (3) 39 Speak pompously about teapot feature (5) 40 Article with yours truly as subject (5)
DOWN
1 Recent change to middle (6)
2 Part of the Far East (4) 3 Bishop united with bird and dog (6) 4 Mopes about at meeting (5) 5 Plants one after key performance (5) 6 Bemused with creature (3)
7 It’s a new drink (4) 8 Wickedness in the village (4) 15 Pair trained student for 30 days (5) 17 Field of pleasure (3) 19 Fired with fury (3) 20 Couple of the French get nothing (3) 22 Movies featuring contest (3) 24 Canter off in a daze (6) 25 Respect for hard old game played (6) 27 Opted to change store (5)
28 Get drunk fast (5)
29 Hit back at friends (4) 30 Register changes a lot (4) 33 Space for cleaner to take top off (4) 35 Letters revealing debt (1,1,1)
QUICK CLUES ACROSS
1 Lead (5) 5 Desist (5) 9 Before (3) 10 Baby carriages (5) 11 Approaches (5) 12 Sever (3) 13 Sticker (3) 14 Cereal plant (3) 16 Unwell (3) 18 Transparent (6) 21 Constantly (4) 23 Salt Lake City’s location (4) 26 Newspaper head (6) 29 Vegetable (3) 31 Biblical priest (3) 32 Limb (3) 34 Facial feature (3) 36 Italian city (5) 37 Molar, eg (5) 38 Machine gear (3) 39 Nozzle (5) 40 Topic (5)
DOWN
1 Core (6) 2 Region (4) 3 Breed of dog (6) 4 Racecourse (5) 5 Prickly succulents (5) 6 Flightless bird (3) 7 Sparkling wine (4) 8 Morally wrong (4) 15 Month (5) 17 Meadow (3) 19 Wrath (3) 20 Twosome (3) 22 Contend (3) 24 Hypnotic state (6) 25 Recognition (6) 27 Warehouse (5) 28 Securely fastened (5) 29 Chums (4) 30 Singing voice (4) 33 Chamber (4) 35 Promissory note (1,1,1)