CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Composer from the USSR sat out (7)

5 Soon producing a foreign refusal (4) 10 Showing skill holding a butcher’s knife (7) 11 A portion of sodden suet to follow (5) 12 Strength needed to make meat dish (5) 13 Writer Nick oddly entering new pile (6) 15 Reginald leads New Age music (6)

17 A little austere, official music system (6) 19 Back in section of the deep-freeze, ensuring cold symptom (6)

20 Wedding official who keeps Cockneys quiet? (5) 23 Copper caught alternative female on island (5) 24 Serious, fashionable and rigid (7)

25 Part of egg is burdensome restraint, we hear (4) 26 Iron faulty, frau left frightened (7)

DOWN

2 Letter and article getting thanks (5) 3 Beneficial plan to save Uganda (12) 4 Supply the words for handwriting (6) 6 In tears, upset, not so nice (7) 7 Want some fine education (4)

8 Cold place – I see bird rising below (7) 9 Spread tuna, be silly in club (6,6) 14 More gut trouble for the connoisseur (7) 16 Unspecific army rank (7)

18 Small man admitting it! (6) 21 Believer in growth industry (5) 22 Reach your painful extraction (4) SATURDAY’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC - ACROSS: 1 Stout-hearted 8 Spice 9 Oppress 10 Ipad 11 Agnostic 14 Sucker 15 Scrape 17 Atypical 18 Stan 21 Piggery 23 Corgi 24 Postgraduate DOWN: 1 Sushi 2 Oligarchy 3 Teem 4 Enough 5 Reproach 6 Ewe 7 Psyche 12 Trattoria 13 Regiment 14 Scampi 16 Lawyer 19 Noise 20 Iced 22 Goo QUICK - ACROSS: 1 Table manners 8 Prime 9 Parable 10 Chat 11 Came back 14 Streak 15 Gammon 17 In common 18 Idol 21 Cabaret 23 Lilac 24 Good gracious DOWN: 1 Topic 2 Bric-a-brac 3 Even 4 Appear 5 Norseman 6 Rub 7 Beckon 12 Armadillo 13 Hammered 14 Snitch 16 Porter 19 Locks 20 Alec 22 Boo