CHALLENGE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Exit diva unexpectedly with Rolls-Royce cabbie (4,6)

8 Type of plants which have their points (5)

9 Mean to cut a vegetable (7)

10 Leave a musical group with no backing (7)

11 Sadie gets wrong thoughts (5)

12 Abraham ties me in knots (6)

14 Bad luck for those said to be sound performers (6)

17 Tempting fruit (5)

19 A name is confused – result of this? (7)

21 A Celt is unusually ready to give! (7)

22 Writer never worried (5)

23 Not the main way to transform a desert site (4,6)

DOWN

2 Honour a bill on demand (7)

3 Epic poem of A.D. 151 (5)

4 Change from evil past or heartless present (6)

5 It unfits men for high positions (7)

6 Freely traverse the mountains (5)

7 Bishops getting poor copies on damaged tape (10)

8 Superior teams oddly are those who train together (10)

13 Gave patient attention (7)

15 Merit of French verse perhaps (7)

16 About a hundred

Scandinavians make trips (6)

18 They may be works, strangely enough (5)

20 A permanent negative (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Beyond reasonable limits (4,3,3)

8 Convenient (5)

9 Gathering of former colleagues (7)

10 Protective glasses (7)

11 Make forced landing on water (5)

12 Sudden and unexpected (6)

14 To alternate (6)

17 Half-asleep (5)

19 Without difficulty (7)

21 Richly luxurious (7)

22 Outfit (3-2)

23 The ultimate truth (6,4)

DOWN

2 Condiment and pickling

medium (7)

3 Majestic (5)

4 Unorthodox opinion (6)

5 Roll heavily (7)

6 Juncture (5)

7 Rising (2,3,3,2)

8 In many different places (4,3,3)

13 Recompense (7)

15 Captivated (7)

16 Small picturesque cave (6)

18 Vertical (5)

20 Theatrical backer (5)