Double Crossword

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 To make certain, follow around end of October (6)

4 Middle of recent

disaster (6)

9 Pleasant times for

power in America (3) 10 Looked keenly round particle and broke new ground (9)

11 Cost of soft grain (5) 12 Higher, having left Rio

dancing! (7)

14 Lets leveret loose on

the ground floor (6,5) 17 Colour ranges of

woven carpets (7)

18 Fragile thread binding

sleeveless jacket (5) 20 Going up again, big increase in housing charge (9)

22 Little unfinished

container (3)

23 Tip in sea when

repaired (6)

24 Architect by church

gets the tool (6)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 Admit to holy

orders (6)

4 Lubricant dispenser (6) 9 Small supernatural

being (3)

10 House’s waste water

channel (9)

11 Discussion place (5)

12 School’s medical

room (4,3)

14 Diver’s plank (11)

17 Gadget emitting a fine

mist (7)

18 Ill‑humoured (5)

20 At first (9)

22 Twosome (3)

23 Style of pocket

watch (6)

24 Revered (6)

DOWN

1 Supplies top entertainer with jokes (6)

2 Written in census, historical dish of

Japan (5)

3 Symbolise about

now (9)

5 Woolly creature from

the west (3)

6 Beirut disturbance involves new engine (7)

7 More mature tree (5)

8 Scent two‑litre tea

ridiculous! (6,5)

13 Engineers enter

aircraft, or ship (9)

15 Star one tormented for

crime (7)

16 Odour produced by

silver‑headed fish (6) 17 Some players crumble

in rugby skirmish (5) 19 Tell head of Lancing

College (3,2)

21 Said queue for

eggs (3)

DOWN

1 Unique

occurrence (3‑3)

2 Postpone (5)

3 Underwrite (9)

5 Old coaching house (3) 6 Mountaineer (7)

7 Very poor (5)

8 Popular buffet

item (7,4)

13 Strabismic (5‑4)

15 Helping (7)

16 Perfect example (6)

17 Dame Maggie ___, Downton Abbey star (5)

19 Equestrian (5)

21 Frozen hazard (3)