Puzzle 19 Two-speed crossword I—General
Quick clues like 15-down—Make—can only make trouble, since that word owns a raft of synonyms, from build to earn to model and so on. Most candidates, however, will vanish when you consider the corresponding cryptic clue for the same solution. Choose whichever clue-speed you’d rather, but keep in mind the cryptic style gives you two glimpses of the answer, if you know where to look.
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Season puts out new shoot (5)
4 Declared good time to cry (4)
7 Declaring policing arm corrupt (11)
8 Cook heads for some additive, usually to enrich (5)
10 Avoid blazer with hot lining? (4)
12 Sort of skimmed dairy product (3)
14 Arrive at the final part of brain (4)
16 Ellis wove cloth (5)
20 Charming Maria hits tremor in staccato midsection? (11)
21 Cheese produced in recession (4)
22 Briefly SMS an American (5)
DOWN
1 Exhausts nincompoops (4)
2 Girl distributing hoard (5)
3 Large Latin lodgers iced treats (6)
4 Bond to leave in a hurry (4)
5 Reported means to put on a scale (5)
6 Pain once nasty in flanks (5)
9 Some 115 cm evenly across sea-lily (3)
11 Pull out grit (5)
13 Devastating mistake, overlooking a fortune (6)
15 Mark grain on tapered end (5)
17 It gives delayed kiss (5)
18 Business movie switched sides (4)
19 Check disheartened Scotsman (4)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Green shoot (5)
4 Yell (4)
7 Attesting (11)
8 Lightly fry (5)
10 Avoid (4)
12 Sort (3)
14 Brain segment (4)
16 Cotton fabric (5)
20 Exuding allure (11)
21 Dutch cheese (4)
22 Dallas local (5)
DOWN
1 Fools (4)
2 Unfashionable name for a girl (5)
3 Frozen treats (6)
4 Scoop (4)
5 Assess (5)
6 Pain (5)
9 Printing measure (3)
11 Courage (5)
13 Destiny (6)
15 Make (5)
17 Synthetic material (5)
18 Stable (4)
19 Read (4)
Puzzle 20 Two-speed crossword II—Bird word
This puzzle proves that ‘quick’ crosswords aren’t. As per the last challenge, you face two sets of clues, leading to the one ‘flock’ of answers.
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Unusual bumpkin holds record (5)
4 Worm’s tip fulfilled darn sea duck (4)
7 Seabird tormented smelter port (5,6)
8 Heard small bird (5)
10 Check stalk (4)
12 Delay prisoner (3)
14 Warren dropped a river bird (4)
16 Dream up what can stop school threat in seconds (5)
20 Bird nearby can squall (11)
21 Seabird to spin on the air (4)
22 Online message gets dainty with time (5)
1 Capone’s mob stripped as well (4)
2 Scary cry by seabird (5)
3 Camel for one gets timid heart seeing camel heading off, we hear (6)
4 Bird food creates speed, not power (4)
5 Bit of detergent over bird (5)
6 Feather is magnificent on magpie’s tail (5)
9 Heath oddly gives triumphant cry (3)
11 Sydney’s AFL players faint for nothing during SOS (5)
13 Ten fuss about seabird (6)
15 Bird of prey decapitated dog (5)
17 Wading bird cocked head near ground (5)
18 Floor swept, unclean in the extreme (4)
19 Sent off bird shelter (4)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Record (5)
4 Diving bird (4)
7 Seabird (5,6)
8 Asian bird (5)
10 Stop (4)
12 Trail (3)
14 Songbird (4)
16 Emerge, as a bird (5)
20 Songbird (11)
21 Seabird (4)
22 Bird-like utterance (5)
DOWN
1 Plus (4)
2 Seabird (5)
3 Cat, say—but not a catbird (6)
4 Bird food, often (4)
5 Wading bird (5)
6 Bird feature (5)
9 Derisive laugh (3)
11 Waterbirds (5)
13 Seabird (6)
15 Bird of prey (5)
17 Wading bird (5)
18 Wow (4)
19 Bird’s home (4)