DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

Across

1 Sponsor, one reversing? (6) 4 Against most of poetry by American (6)

9 Dried grass is hard and yellow initially (3)

10 Nose right in firmly fixed meal (9)

11 South African girl in steam bath (5)

12 Plainness of tailless bird in metropolis (7) 14 Umpteen from a Berlin menu (11)

17 Right way out is to go back (7) 18 Hammer is donated, then left (5) 20 Publish then prepare for some ironing (2,2,5)

22 Proceeded to reveal mythical bird (3) 23 Equestrians added clauses (6) 24 Everyone in December turned and shouted (6)

Down

1 Order rebuilding of Thebes (6) 2 Uprising supports simpering rodent (5) 3 Opening for a castle architect? (9) 5 Large deer seen in Selkirk (3)

6 Dog leaps in, playfully (7) 7 Voice thanks internally for barbecue dish (5) 8 Unusual aspect there for classroom favourite (8,3) 13 Brewed ales again provide relief from pain (9) 15 Invalidated necessity to wrap tag up (7) 16 Calm replacement of lid with cap (6) 17 Understood to be a man (5)

19 Queen kept in container is all over the internet (5)

21 For each bonus without end (3)

QUICK CLUES

Across

1 Finder’s payment (6) 4 Countries, nations (6) 9 Female parent (3) 10 Plastic for electronic payment (5,4) 11 American cafe (5) 12 Blow up (7) 14 Disheartened (11) 17 Become happier (5,2) 18 Imperfection (5) 20 Having eight sides (9) 22 Feathery scarf (3) 23 Wearying (6) 24 Baby swan (6)

Down

1 Cure (6)

2 Adult females (5)

3 Water storage lake (9)

5 Knotted item of neckwear (3)

6 Delicately scented bloomer (3,4)

7 Edge along furtively (5)

8 Secretly monitoring telephone conversations (4‑7)

13 Sorely (9)

15 One who votes (7) 16 Narrow channel of sea (6) 17 Highlands smallholding (5) 19 Belonging to a city (5) 21 Firearm (3)