The European crossword had two sets of clues – Cryptic and Quick. The fifth puzzle appeared on 8 June 1990, and was the first for which I provided both sets. My records show something rather odd: the quick clues were completed in March, the cryptic clues in May. The first oddity is that there are two dates – my current view of such a puzzle would be to write the two sets in parallel so that it was easier to ensure slightly different definitions appeared in the cryptic and quick ones. In general, then, the puzzles would be finished simultaneously. The second oddity is the two month gap. My guess on that (which my memory refuses to corroborate) is that the cryptic puzzle was the afterthought, so clues had to be provided at short notice.
The puzzle was expected to have European themes, which can help with solving – for instance, if you see _R_E_E it is more likely to be GREECE than BREEZE, FRIEZE or GRIEVE. Unusually I haven’t updated one reference (simply out of a ‘Really? It was that long ago?’ feeling), so you will have to remember that the clues were written in 1990.
ACROSS
1 I was responsible for Fagin sticking neck out in Underworld (7)
5 Devious clue: “Ultimately for kine? Not half!” (Answer: cattle-fodder) (7)
9 Nile ran amok after never following curved route? (3-6)
10 Older person has a mostly boring time (5)
11 Made a complaint at being surrounded by drain (7)
12 Stretch of water, say, moves across in English river (7)
13 Depict a hero with arm broken in war memorial? (3,2,8)
18 Selection of television bore for projected underwater trip (7,6)
20 Making finery (cheap stuff can start to grate) (7)
23 Slump in last month’s brand? (7)
25 One from Athens withholding final consent (5)
26 English will join the French with crazy spirit (9)
27 Holy man in greys and brown (7)
28 Doctor needs specially designed porcelain (7)
DOWN
1 Flower, one in bud, turning up on middle of bed (6)
2 One-man car diverted to part of Eire (9)
3 Live shows in half-past-six event cropping up (5)
4 Veronica, a nob, inwardly profound on reflection (9)
5 Some particular gentleman is well-built (5)
6 Onset of martial law? No PC’d get involved with onset of martial law (9)
7 Libertine’s name in cathedral (5)
8 Old meters changed – they’re way out (8)
14 America, say, is temperate (9)
15 Puritan leader’s followed all over (9)
16 Excused chum with elaborate detail (9)
17 One enthralled by the timeless Sir Walter (long dead) – may visit here? (8)
19 See Irving, say, be King Lear, initially fashionable (6)
21 Go round, taking in one European centre of industry (5)
22 Inexperienced, about to be swamped by info (5)
24 Make art that dismisses one cradle of civilisation? (5)
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