Double Crossword

Choice of cryptic or quick puzzle, and (just in case you've been wracking your brains) yesterday's solutions.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Aug 2010, 12:52 BST
Updated 12th Aug 2010, 13:05 BST

Cryptic puzzle

Across

1. Cannot be reduced to insincere talk (4)

3. Pool's fun when played in small measure (8)

8. Eager for the return of the prima donna (4)

9. Ban Clare's outing to find a crustacean (8)

11. Winner took the road back over a lump of fruit (8,4)

13. New desire to live (6)

14. Fastener for broken plates (6)

17. Must I use loan up at the same time? (12)

20. Risk to send out for Indians (8)

21. Insect with the right drink (4)

22. Lay a peer out another day (4,4)

23. Second-hand dealer sued (4)

Down

1. Bounder claims to have corpses (8)

2. Beginners without bad habits? (7)

4. Mountain-climbing police are calm (6)

5. Top men into position, being all-powerful (10)

6. If returning to church wear a high-class shawl (5)

7. Was untruthful about song (4)

10. What the drug addict has on Boxing Day? (4,6)

12. Church certain to be in extreme need, having been criticised (8)

15. Character on the bow shows great skill (7)

16. Man returns the book of verse (6)

18. Help Northern Ireland revert to another place (5)

19. Spoken part of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (4)

Quick puzzle

Across

1. Dull (4)

3. Killer (8)

8. Inlet (4)

9. See (8)

11. Exhumation (12)

13. Ordinary (6)

14. Pass (6)

17. Self-contradictory (12)

20. Bills (8)

21. Team (4)

22. Seclusion (8)

23. Smaller (4)

Down

1. Degenerate (8)

2. Counsellor (7)

4. Meat-pin (6)

5. Achieve (10)

6. Descendant (5)

7. Require (4)

10. Opponent (10)

12. Wakeful (8)

15. Chair (7)

16. Go up (6)

18. New (5)

19. Osculate (4)

Wednesday's solutions

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Ploughshare; 9 Rivulet; 10 Reign; 11 Jaded; 12 Armoire; 13 Cleans; 15 Nought; 18 Imagine; 20 Slack; 22 Noise; 23 Cartoon; 24 Well-ordered.

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Down: 2 Lived; 3 Unladen; 4 Hit-man; 5 Harem; 6 Raiding; 7 Projections; 8 Undertaking; 14 Examine; 16 Observe; 17 Fencer; 19 Ideal; 21 Alone.

QUICK

Across: 1 Eclecticism; 9 Academy; 10 Inert 11 Combe; 12 Umbrage; 13 Locate; 15 Acidic; 18 Traffic; 20 Pasta; 22 Nerve; 23 Recital; 24 Inadvertent.

Down: 2 Chasm; 3 Element; 4 Try out; 5 Climb; 6 Steward; 7 Calculating; 8 Stretchable; 14 Chagrin; 16 Copycat; 17 Scarce; 19 Field; 21 Satan.