DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC ACROSS

5 Small French quartet

takes the biscuit! (5,4)

8 Possibly get a gold finish on cake (6)

9 Creative person with odd traits (6)

10 Make a garland in free time? Not certain (3)

11 Old girl’s manual massage (6)

13 Quote again and speak from memory (6)

15 Foreman making a social error, right? (6)

18 Expressionless Norse god hides nothing (6)

20 Only a little facelift for biblical priest (3)

21 Person, untidy at the back of the neck (6)

22 Energetic person has Monday off (6)

23 Embellished his garden rocks (9)

DOWN

1 Buy back colourpoints, Monsieur (6)

2 Lie initially under lower arm or leg bone (6)

3 At a fete, announced

illicit romance (6)

4 Peasant is curt,

unfortunately (6)

6 Daughter before marriage has casual love affair (9)

7 Map lines joining island with mother’s place (9)

12 Born into extreme

poverty without end (3) 14 I say nothing (3)

16 Artificial fur on US girl involving very little expense (6)

17 Money back, though entertainment in colour (6)

18 Most broad when

wife edits around (6) 19 Snow leopards of

little weight (6)

QUICK ACROSS

5 Stage speech by one person (9)

8 Only human (6)

9 Heart-rending (6)

10 Under the alternative

name of (inits) (3)

11 Grammatical sex (6)

13 Person who always agrees with the boss (3-3)

15 Fuel for HGV engines (6)

18 Have a home (6)

20 ___ Age, chilly animated family comedy (3)

21 Slope gradually (6)

22 Swarm of pest insects, such as locusts (6)

23 Landing field for planes (9)

DOWN

1 Preserved (6)

2 Top of a shirt (6)

3 Shoo! (2,4)

4 Unpleasant pressure (6)

6 Circumspection (9)

7 Absolute (3,3,3)

12 Private ___, satirical magazine (3)

14 ___ Myles, Welsh actress (3)

16 Vendor, dealer (6)

17 Stay hidden (3,3)

18 Give an account of (6)

19 Glib, sycophantic (6)