TWO-SPEED CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS 1 Retailer’s task — shoplifting? (11) 9 Beam from the man (3) 10 TV serial with singing in the bath? (4,5) 11 US came, I ran off! (8) 12 Even characters from Dublin Bay find bone (4) 14 Urchin ostensibly hides trousers (6) 16 Hear strange bloke making water-heater (6) 18 Open University don is shifty (4) 19 Investigate kiloton explosion with oxygen (4,4) 22 Liberal interpretation not applicable to classical performer (9) 23 Very small portion of sweetmeat (3) 24 Newly sealed variety of cheese (11)

DOWN 2 Herb’s noisy occasion (5) 3 Certain cartons I destroyed (4-4) 4 Roughly beat silver drink-making device (3,3) 5 Ken’s verbal refusal (4) 6 Annoys those on the floor in December? (7) 7 Loaf fragments mixed? Scrub ’em, Brad! (11) 8 Paper orator produced for airborne soldier (11) 13 Seaman asks for all the playing-cards, and some of them! (4-4) 15 Give way to urges, eluding disaster (7) 17 Coiled round and easily managed (6) 20 Post lately discovered by the Spanish (5) 21 Touches headless fish (4)

COFFEE TIME

ACROSS 1 Evaluation of unsold goods (11) 9 Beam of light (3) 10 TV drama serial (4,5) 11 From the US (8) 12 Arm-bone (4) 14 Casual trousers (6) 16 Erupting hot spring (6) 18 Disconnect (4) 19 Check out, investigate (4,4) 22 Female dancer (9) 23 Small, in Scotland (3) 24 North Yorkshire cheese (11)

DOWN 2 Aromatic herb (5) 3 Ferrous alloy (4,4) 4 Beverage sachet (3,3) 5 Realise (4) 6 Pine spikes (7) 7 Loaf fragments (11) 8 Airborne serviceman (11) 13 Ship’s crew member (4-4) 15 Cosset (7) 17 Amenable (6)

PREVIOUS SOLUTION

Across: 1 Pig’s ear; 8 Utrecht; 9 Epigram; 10 Slush; 11 Aftermath(s); 14 Rented; 15 St(r)ays; 16 Settee; 20 Alongside; 23 Mop up; 24 Amassed; 25 At first; 26 Explain.

Down: 1 Prefab; 2 Guilty; 3 Error; 4 Rumba; 5 Brushes; 6 Occult; 7 (F)Etched; 12 Motel; 13 Try on; 15 Seaport; 16 Sampan; 17 Tip-off; 18 Siesta; 19 Redden; 21 Orate; 22 Grasp.