Crossword

el sereno

Across

1 Bags of pasta with no topping (6) 5 Rebuke from doctor when going in behind schedule (8) 9 Laid-back approach to date with personal defeat (8) 10 Apple runs American group (6) 11 Much admired character making both rather confused (10) 12 Cut back end of term test (4) 13 Film of events of senior

European in post (8) 16 Due for a change, employing fool – agreed! (6) 17 Hooligan in Paris may see primate outside a church (6) 19 Desperate to survive when visiting doctor (4,4) 21 A short holiday going west for a drink (4) 22 Help people elected to cover area plans, showing highs and lows (6,4) 25 Keeping quiet, as is head of psychology (6) 26 Millions resist changing to follow a group of stars (8) 27 Recognise food unknown in part of the USA (8) 28Frustrated and numb on the way back, keeping quiet (6)

Down

2 Gas found in Australia once carbon is extracted (5) 3 Hang around with no good way of going overseas (5) 4 Staff’s secret moves to hold onto power (7) 5 Unimaginative side recruiting international for area (7) 6 Spoil a session, finishing early to get a flyer (7) 7 Responding to a call after fresh news (9) 8 Young people – not dim in disagreement, possibly (9) 14 Stress European rate in the existing circumstances beginning to ease (9) 15 State capital losing love for religious ritual (9) 18 Unpredictable rodent trapped in shifting rice (7) 19 Song from quiet period with infant dropping head (7) 20Got wind of South

American money suppressing editor (7) 23 Additional source of security for customs (5) 24 One way into exercise – that’s a slippery slope (5)

How to enter Please scan or otherwise copy this page and email it to comps@theoldie.co.uk. With regret, owing to the current coronavirus epidemic we are temporarily unable to accept postal entries. Normal procedure will be restored as soon as possible. Deadline: 25th August 2021. We do not sell or share your data with third parties.

First prize is The Chambers Dictionary and £25. Two runners-up will receive £15. NB: Hodder & Stoughton and Bookpoint Ltd will be sent the addresses of the winners because they process the prizes.

Moron crossword 403

Across

1 Group (political) (5) 4 Part of flower (5) 10 Assuage (7) 11 Chassis; set up (5) 12 Leg bone (5) 13 Irritated (7) 15 Spanish artist (b.1746) (4) 17 Shrink (5) 19 Layabout (5) 22 Competently (4) 25 Adorable (7) 27 Low point (5) 29 Trunk; body (5) 30Term; period (7) 31 Fringe benefits (5) 32 Kinds, sorts (5)

Down

2 Off-the-cuff (2-3) 3 Adolescent (7) 5 Small and delicate (5) 6 Examine; break down (7) 7 Veracity (5) 8 To rot (5) 9 Prepared (5) 14 Pin down (4) 16 Spoken (4) 18 Head side of coin (7) 20Ruling family (7) 21 The select few (5) 23 Monster (5) 24 Incorrect (5) 26 Stream; endure (5) 28Motivation (5) Genius 401 solution

Winner: Gerald Usher, Woodcote, Reading, Berkshire Runners-up: Pauline Harkness, Cockermouth, Cumbria; Michael Hands, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Moron 401 solution Across: 1 Reversed, 7 Hicks (River Styx), 8 Hot potato, 9 Rye, 10 Byre, 11 Deploy, 13 Tannoy, 14 En bloc, 17 Adages, 18 Jabs, 20 Dim, 22 Cast aside, 23 Crepe, 24 Triangle. Down: 1 Rehab, 2 Veteran, 3 Riot, 4 Enamel, 5 Scary, 6 Ascetic, 7 Howling, 12 Romance, 13 Traduce, 15 Leading, 16 Geyser, 17 Amber, 19 Suede, 21 Cava.