QUICK

Dec 11 2008 by Rob Wilkes, North Wales Weekly News

ACROSS

1. Fast ocean predator (9)

5. Closed (4)

7. Hedge sparrow (7)

9. Oxbridge sporting honour (4)

11. Cricket fielding position (4)

14. Bone mineral (7)

15. Wager (3)

16. Constricting snake (3)

17. Rod fishermen (7)

18. Field entrance (4)

20. Laid by hens (4)

22. Selected part of writing, etc (7)

24. Large Scottish island (4)

25. Tidy (nautical) (9)

DOWN

1. Male bovine (4)

2. Impolite (4)

3. Swindle (3)

4. Enquires (4)

6. Puts in similar roles repeatedly (9)

8. Worthy of remark (7)

9. Long-chewed sweet (9)

10. Arrogant newcomer (7)

12. Birth of sheep (7)

13. Simple wind instrument (7)

19. Sinuous fish (4)

20. Sicilian volcano (4)

21. Adhesive (4)

23. Fast-talking pop music form (3)

PRIZE

ACROSS

1. To swindle company for sure we need quick education (9)

5. Big angry fellow’s ergonomics wrong from the start (4)

7. Trust after false blame has one glowing softly (7)

9. Keys to island need recutting (4)

11. Sign of pollution in pelt of smart dog (4)

14. Turning black, go to reveal piled-up work (7)

15. Cut down to possess (3)

16. Diminutive churchman’s contribution to breviary (3)

17. No-good drama rewritten for relative (7)

18. Uruguayan leaders turn to spiritual authority (4)

20. Communist agent has wild night with lads (4)

22. Offer matador a bit of a rest (7)

24. Fiddled odometer, showing it never flew! (4)

25. In West Country heather, put more on when wrapping baby (9)

DOWN

1. Great bird flies back to king to keep wine safe (4)

2. Wavy line running through much of Africa (4)

3. Bone’s horrible part (3)

4. Dorothy’s briefly joined to get picture (4)

6. Making print, engineer starts talking madly (9)

8. A merino capering around former glacier (7)

9. With curds gone, cadged something different (9)

10. This Nero guy isn’t that old, perhaps (7)

12. A thousand to one it’s cash to aid much-travelled worker (7)

13. Shrub known in many manuscripts, initially Asian (7)

19. All of us confused by high-flying lights (4)

20. Necessarily yields subcontinental garb (4)

21. Long-ago gentlemen very keen to hear secret (4)

23. A mound reduced to oozing stuff in seconds (3)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

QUICK ACROSS: 1: Wealthy. 4: Tiffs. 7: Throw. 9: Lodge. 10: Hidalgo. 11: Later. 12: Shrimp. 14: Dragon. 17: North. 19: Library. 22: Crust. 22: Koala. 24: Sides. 25: Haricot. DOWN: 1: Watch. 2: Towel. 3: Yellow. 4: Tiddler. 5: Fleet. 6: Saffron. 8: Radar. 12: Sandals. 13: Mahouts. 15: Guava. 16: Glitch. 18: Raced. 20: Biker. 21: Yeast.

PRIZE ACROSS: 1: Tumbler. 4: Gaffe. 7: Oasis. 9: Doubt. 10: Thirsts. 11: Abhor. 12: Muffle. 14: Shower. 17: Rejig. 19: Lenient. 22: Chill. 23: Detox. 24: Caste. 25: Mermaid. DOWN: 1: Trout. 2: Lists. 3: Radish. 4: Goulash. 5: Fetch. 6: Emperor. 8: Skiff. 12: Moronic. 13: Lignite. 15: Wheat. 16: Slalom. 18: Jacks. 20: Nadir. 21: Taxed.