THE SUNDAY CRUSADER

The Crusader’s clues

ACROSS

1 Over a quarter stick (5) 4 Alert cop massaged his

back muscles (9) 9 Miscasting,

perhaps? (8,7)

10 Old and intense drip

sweeping (9)

11 A couple of tetra not

acceptable fish (5) 12 Analysts joke with a

copper about it (7) 13 Lady on board failing to

divert (7) 15 Unprofessional friend

into gold rejects lead (7) 18 Neighbour taking in a

tenant (7)

20 A model poses for

assignments (5)

22 He taught a child in

Israel differently (9) 24 Simple sort of raft hid

ragworts (15) 25 Fiendish prosecutors not punctual around trial’s end (9)

26 A forest-dweller teetotal

nowadays (5)

DOWN

1 English post to hand

out (5)

2 Poet raising money

outside of Albania (7) 3 Plant, say, tossed at

Lenin (9)

4 Writers quiet about piece

having naff start (7) 5 Short remark many

applaud (7)

6 Scheduled collection

beginning (5)

7 Stylish line in a repeating metre at poem’s start (1,2,4)

8 Inspector thanks a

witness (9)

12 Fish rising tides somehow

followed (9)

14 Fine coffee a leftist

praised (9)

16 Claims academics initially overemphasise (7)

17 Soldiers hurt came to (7) 18 An insect after cheese, in

short (7)

19 Simple song about pruned and flowering plant (7)

21 Star speechmaker

listened to (5)

23 Closed door opening in

another Eden (5)

Cryptic clues from our knight, and quick clues from his squire,

lead to the same answers in the Crusader’s Sunday joust

ACROSS The Squire’s clues

DOWN

1 Food spread (5)

4 Chest muscles (9) 9 Orthographic error (8,7) 10 Wide-ranging (9) 11 Salmonid fish (5) 12 Expert commentators (7) 13 Turn aside (7) 15 Unskilled person (7) 18 Pupil living at school (7) 20 Jobs, chores (5)

22 Pupil of Plato (9) 24 Uncomplicated (15) 25 Despicable (9)

26 Wood nymph (5) 1 Outdated (5)

2 Helen ___, Countryfile

presenter (7)

3 Sweet briar (9) 4 Propelling ___ (7) 5 Praise (7)

6 Early stages (5)

7 In fashion (1,2,4) 8 Viewer (9)

12 Skilful (9) 14 Complimented (9) 16 Declares to be true (7) 17 Arrived at (7)

18 For a moment (7) 19 Pink-flowered European

plant (7)

21 Virgo’s brightest star (5) 23 Finished (5)