TWO-WAY TEASER

TWO sets of clues but the answers are the same... CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Meant to sound indeed deranged! (8) 5 Believe the payment to be a pound? (4) 8 Manage to catch a loose end (4) 9 Search for a little matter that’s in dispute (8) 10 Came to a conclusion and ran out (7) 12 Drinking vessel of a saint – a German one (5) 13 To be sly about a piece of wickedness is not healthy (6) 15 Bachelor, also an officer, I see, in the European area (6) 17 Coldly unfriendly letter to Mr Blair (5) 18 A fishy food item (7) 22 In which to keep a trophy for the directors? (8) 23 Is such racing uninteresting? (4) 24 Active secret agent touring Central America (4) 25 Alarming in a small way! (8)

DOWN

1 Richard gets half dozens from Charles (7) 2 Do an absorbing job as cleaner (3,2) 3 Misquote as something that goes to one’s head! (5) 4 Document with a title, perhaps (4) 6 No longer a single man, that’s directly important (7) 7 Revolutionary linen weaver (5) 11 The right person to have on your side, we gather (5) 12 Being vegetarian, it’s slow to digest nails (5) 14 It can cut through the air (7) 16 Fine a lot of money (7) 17 Are those holes in them made by punches? (5) 19 Senior soldiers abandoned by sis (5) 20 Sweeter variety of lemon (5) 21 It’s a great struggle for many to be friendly (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Crazed (8) 5 To sense (4) 8 Hold one’s own (4) 9 Query (8) 10 Terminated (7) 12 Beer mug (5) 13 Feeble (6) 15 European Sea (6) 17 Hard, cold (5) 18 Pickled herring (7) 22 Furniture item (8) 23 Level (4) 24 Nimble (4) 25 Borderline (8)

DOWN

1 Novelist Charles (7) 2 Finish the job (3,2) 3 Brimless hat (5) 4 Act (4) 6 Urgent (7) 7 Russian revolutionary (5) 11 Recover (5) 12 Slow mover (5) 14 Helicopter (7) 16 Wealth (7) 17 Half-hose (5) 19 More aged (5) 20 Large fruit (5) 21 Cordial (4)