QUICK CLUES

Nov 13 2008 by Rob Wilkes, North Wales Weekly News

ACROSS

1. End of chess game (9)

5. Egg centre (4)

7. Short beard growth (7)

9. Worry (4)

11. Garden store building (4)

14. Least possible (7)

15. Small amount (3)

16. Apple seed (3)

17. Dense metal element (7)

18. Binds up mouth (4)

20. Second-hand (4)

22. Farm vehicle (7)

24. Novice (4)

25. Stamp-collecting (9)

DOWN

1. Tea (informal)(4)

2. Compass point (4)

3. Riotous crowd (3)

4. Needle holes (4)

6. Taken to ransom (9)

8. Relaxes after hard work (7)

9. Two-week period (9)

10. Evading danger, etc (7)

12. Picnic baskets (7)

13. Small stream (7)

19. Halt (4)

20. Impulse (4)

21. Simple to accomplish (4)

23. Top of pass (3)

PRIZE CLUES

ACROSS

1. I am spacing out military operations (9)

5. Switch wheat, for example? (4)

7. Exploring globe, liable to find exotic bloom (7)

9. Encounter sinister intruder in thaw (4)

11. Rival’s got to be daft to create division with narrow margins (4)

14. Tell Dad to cut root, I hear (7)

15. Bid for Biblical escapee (3)

16. Place where cattle are content, we find (3)

17. On the run, icon takes form of fabulous beast (7)

18. Rear sound bird (4)

20. Meagre, unsilvery body of water (4)

22. During revolt, a general finds potential force (7)

24. Dilemma limiting chance to perceive state of Africa (4)

25. Corrupt CID’s tried to damage one’s reputation (9)

DOWN

1. Commanding officer takes engineers to heart (4)

2. Master needs light ingredient for brewing (4)

3. Circle taking seconds to decorate sweetly (3)

4. Permanent distinguishing mark on heads of Scottish artists (4)

6. Can’t quite place tune, leading to childish temper (9)

8. Abel can return to equilibrium (7)

9. Sent to slammer – could be in a real whirl! (9)

10. Cutlet prepared with Oriental salad plant (7)

12. We see from simple model, it will collapse inwards (7)

13. A train’s derailed for top lady (7)

19. Very keen for top mark – given six old pence (4)

20. Traditional drink for dodgy dame? (4)

21. The smallest, but will apparently run on time (4)

23. Particular part of nervous disorder (3)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

QUICK ACROSS: 1: Monocle. 4: Balsa. 7: Rider. 9: Joust. 10: Empathy. 11: Queen. 12: Batter. 14: Hermit. 17: Tiger. 19: Perjury. 22: Futon. 23: Whelk. 24: Doric. 25: Tension. DOWN: 1: Morse. 2: Earth. 3: Enjoys. 4: Brusque. 5: Lathe. 6: Against. 8: Depot. 12: Bottled. 13: Erratic. 15: Mouse. 16: Spinet. 18: Gofer. 20: Rowan. 21: Yukon.

PRIZE ACROSS: 1: Forgery. 4: Sitar. 7: Utter. 9: Warns. 10: Extreme. 11: Teeth. 12: Checks. 14: Shaman. 17: Light. 19: Habitue. 22: Ichor. 23: Ivory. 24: Eaten. 25: Segment. DOWN: 1: Flute. 2: Eyrie. 3: Yawned. 4: Scratch. 5: Taste. 6: Roughen. 8: Tithe. 12: Collide. 13: Kitchen. 15: Metro. 16: Chores. 18: Grist. 20: Bling. 21: Egypt.