Cryptic across

1 Two average scores, hard to get through a well-watered course in Damascus (7)
5 Follower of Joseph maybe a bit of a plank? (5)
8 Book’s stupid – as in sheep (9)
9 Break down, being initially derogatory to Americans (3)
10 Go astray finding a road to get to the mountain (5)
12 Versatile staple hard to bed in an upland area (3,4)
13 Hispanic circle is language-led (6)
14 Piece of beef and another leg joint trimmed, so it’s believed (6)
16 Group of canons suitable for a pop singer to get to grips with (7)
19 Haggard woman sailor returned with was once a queen… (5)
21 …odd characters in the main (3)
22 Pharisee’s head over heels into fish and birds (9)
24 Paul’s mate, ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ actor, is, on reflection, first of lads to leave (5)
25 Bits used for corner supports (7)

Cryptic down

1 Strips, applying toilet water onto both sides of legs (5)
2 Bee can be heard after this quiet wood (3)
3 Transport through the Easter period (7)
4 Reciprocate and redact reference to duke? (5)
5 David’s relative position, this after seeing the letter I take to be to the Romans (5)
6 Hubris shown after silence on murder (9)
7 Heard a Spanish separatist’s splitting to a Mexican place (7)
11 Disciple of article Leah devoured to get brown all over (9)
13 Good chap to put in place in Rome for this plague (7)
15 Orthodox Jew takes one the detectives hold up (7)
17 African city, after a dreadful tsunami this morning, disappears… (5)
18 …and the geological structure shakes (5)
20 Fool, over a very large port, Paul steered away from (5)
23 Douglas gets to the heart of this insular dude? (3)

Quick across

1 Group of parishes or the residence of its supervisor (usually Anglican) (7)
5 Arouse: hurt feelings (5)
8 Ecclesiastical title of honour bestowed on some RC priests (9)
9 Appropriate (3)
10 Commander of Deborah’s army (5)
12 Dodgy (7)
13 LPs (6)
14 Small overnight bag (6)
16 One of the first Israelite judges, he stopped his people worshipping Baal (7)
19 Not bold (5)
21 Himalayan beast of burden (3)
22 Nephews of Abraham (3,3,3)
24 The clear, upper air: anaesthetic (5)
25 Made the physical dimensions of something more appropriate (7)

Quick down

1 Honourably discharge from the armed forces (informal) (5)
2 Slender bristle-like appendage found on the bracts of grasses and barley in particular (3)
3 Steward in the household of Hezekiah who negotiated with 11 (7)
4 Informal word for Northerners (USA); Americans (rest of world) (5)
5 Son of King Priam of Troy, brother of Hector (5)
6 Theological doctrine of the Society of Friends (9)
7 Christen: make eligible (7)
11 Cup-bearer, the chief negotiator sent by Sennacherib to parley with Hezekiah (9)
13 Lesser cleric or layman, the word now broadened to mean ‘follower’ or  ‘attendant’ (7)
15 Brings into harmony with (7)
17 Colourless fluid which flows through the veins of classical gods (5)
18 —– house, a leper colony (5)
20 Slept fitfully, lightly or for a short period of time (5)
23 Alias of Charles Dickens (3)

Crossword answers

Cryptic answers to No 0440: Across: 1 Gabriel, 5 Sucre, 8 Lump sum, 9 Nonet, 10 Ozone, 11 Elijah, 13 Herod the Great, 16 Sisera, 18 Liber, 21 Habit, 22 Alma-ata, 23 Bower, 24 Ephesus. Down: 1 Golgotha, 2 Bimbo, 3 Instead, 4 Lambeth Palace, 5 Sunni, 6 Candace, 7 Ents, 12 Star Wars, 14 Rainbow, 15 Galumph, 17 Enter, 19 Brass, 20 Chu.

Quick answers to No 0440: Across: 1 Benares/ Benaras, 5 Henry, 8 Nilotic, 9 Rocky, 10 Fonda, 11 El Niño, 13 Canonical hour, 16 Gospel, 18 Parer,
21 Agist, 22 Ennoble, 23 Esher, 24 Egotist. Down: 1 Boniface, 2 Nylon, 3 Retrain, 4 Sacred College, 5 Huron, 6 No can do, 7 Yo-yo, 12 Prurient, 14 Neolith, 15 Lepanto, 17 Peter, 19 Rabbi, 20 Jane.

Crossword winners

Winners (0439 Cryptic): Marie Drake, Chorley; Mr and Mrs MR Taylor, Sheffield
Winners (0439 Quick): John Geary, Romford; Sr Brendan Murphy, Birmingham

Sudoku 0441

Solution 0440

Our address

The Catholic Herald
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Bunhill Row, London
EC1Y 8TQ

Answers in by June 1