Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same.

Cryptic clues

ACROSS

1 The rat posed a menace (6) 4 Look in Tuscany (4)

7 Open a container (4)

8 Walk like a small ogre (6)

9 Solid company (4)

10 Sign to old soldiers (4)

12 Wonderful penalty (4)

14 Dog returned to exalted

figure (3)

16 Hippies’ food (3)

17 Lots may get mislaid (4)

20 Buzzer right to have a

drink (4)

23 Dreaming about some

paper (4)

24 Look for simpleton (6)

25 Aunt mad for swimmer (4) 26 Doesn’t stand for fibs (4) 27 Cancel directions to

entrance (6)

DOWN

1 Devise a test for flavour (5) 2 Unusual not to be well

done (4)

3 Working a lot with new

nail (5)

4 Strongbox is unharmed (4) 5 Church circle included

shrink (6)

6 Hardly a crazy vagrant (5) 11 Officers’ room in

confusion (4)

13 Lied about being lazy (4)

15 Engineers beat off

discount (6)

16 Fairy left in jeopardy (5)

18 Argon treated body part (5) 19 Husky, say, or another

animal (5)

21 Muse about avian

creatures (4)

22 Aide’s unusual

impression (4)

Quick clues

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Warning (6) 1 Sample (5)

4 Peruse (4) 2 Seldom seen (4)

7 Slightly open (4) 3 Claw (5)

8 Saunter (6) 4 Secure (4)

9 Steady (4) 5 Cower (6)

10 Portent (4) 6 Wanderer (5)

12 Sunny (4) 11 Untidy state (4)

14 Deity (3) 13 Unoccupied (4)

16 Pastry item (3) 15 Repayment (6)

17 Got beaten (4) 16 Danger (5)

20 Ale (4) 18 Keyboard

23 Quantity of paper (4) instrument (5)

24 Male goose (6) 19 Equine

25 Food fish (4) mammal (5)

26 Untruths (4) 21 Flightless birds (4) 27 Nullify (6) 22 Notion (4) Solutions in next week’s Sunday Mirror