Quick crossword

No 15,981

Across

1 Unthreatening (8)

5 Reverse (4)

9 Get punished (3,2)

10 Proportionately (3,4)

11 Long prison term (4,8)

13 It’s up for debate (6)

14 Strong effect (6)

17 High fashion (5,7)

20 Come after (7)

21 Religion is ‘the ___ of the people’

(Karl Marx) (5)

22 Severe respiratory disease, first

identified in 2003 (4)

23 Logically sound (8)

Down

1 Bumpkin (4)

2 Not a first edition (7)

3 Means of getting into

correspondence (6,6)

4 Evening meal (6)

6 Adapt one’s behaviour in the

light of experience (5) 7 Reproductive organ in the

human uterus (8)

8 Put on costume (anag) –

showing disdain (12)

12 Extra stress (8)

15 Call before a court to answer an

indictment (7)

16 Cook in hot (not boiling) water (6) 18 Slow-healing sore (5)

19 In the thick of (4)