THE CROSSWORDS
PUZZLE 16873
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Team captains who know the score? (11)
9 A fool and awfully rude; that’s for certain (7)
10 Time for me to change into top perhaps (5)
11 Insensitive one for example shows no hesitation (4)
12 Transplant may give one fresh courage (3,5)
14 Taking flight running fast (6)
16 Rush into a job for life (6)
18 Crew shod as farm workers (8)
19 It’s good about the French being pleased (4)
22 A girl or man disguised (5)
23 Newly alerted one may have to step on it (7)
24 Boring possibly but shrewd (11)
DOWN
2 A mass rising on the Indian border (5)
3 Old craft by day - or night (4)
4 Extraordinary deed is opposed to current trends (6)
5 European able to give avuncular advice? (8)
6 Storm about like a politician in a hurry (7)
7 Men facing it become noble (11)
8 Superior pedestrian crossings? (11)
13 Lacking a timely qualification (8)
15 Bows were made from it yet were wrongly formed (3,4)
17 Newspaperman to be found in dire trouble (6)
20 Left port with a cargo (5)
21 The others get a breather (4)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Little, if any, consolation (4,7)
9 Draw to oneself (7)
10 To direct for information (5)
11 Darkness (4)
12 Something detested (8)
14 Enlarge (6)
16 Out of date (3,3)
18 Of basic importance (8)
19 Having enough skill (4)
22 A cereal plant (5)
23 Dissenter from established dogma (7)
24 Irascible (3-8)
DOWN
2 Aquatic fish-eating mammal (5)
3 Transaction (4)
4 Pleasure trip (6)
5 Predict (8)
6 Give renewed vigour to (7)
7 Enthusiastic reception (4,7)
8 Overcome uneasy formality (5,3,3)
13 Roundabout (8)
15 Colonnade (7)
17 Malicious damage (6)
20 Go swimming (5)
21 Genuine (4)