The Times - Cryptic - Times Cryptic 25052 - January 6, 2012

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Clues Answers
A school friend comes round for Easter PASCHAL
Birds going about in pants THEPITS
Biscuit a cook half-heartedly prepared with tea OATCAKE
Blue hair? The ultimate in wacky MOPY
Departs before noon after stay's over in German city POTSDAM
Drive up motorway, heading north to place of learning IMPULSE
Endless old Roman road in the country LATVIA
Facts and figures about university ranking STATUS
Inferior writer of poor operettas POETASTER
Like one going by boat and then railway without bother SAILORLY
Listener's choice: retro piece for singer and woodwind PICCOLOS
Musicians producing singular record recalling Let It Be SEPTETS
Officer keeping gold in chest COMMODORE
Outburst of anger over a painting TEMPERA
Clues Answers
Painting wins top prize in the end LANDSCAPE
People get cut in odd places — by this? EPEE
Quality of a fruitcake, in more ways than one NUTTINESS
Soldier's preferred form of defence PARAPET
Stop a press conference? PREVENT
Superficial, like a very short play? SKETCHY
Team's excited after recruiting ace new scorer SMETANA
Theatre in West London initially adapted play THEWINTERSTALE
Times includes worthless stuff about seduction TEMPTATION
Understanding way medicine should be swallowed? Quite the opposite EMPATHETIC
Use tool for repairing part of shoe OUTSOLE
Wanting to jilt attractive female, announce the bad news DROPABOMBSHELL
When apes first appear and come in playing to rear of cage MIOCENE
Where danger lurks, son gets in a stew HOTSPOT