Quick crossword No 16,500

Across

1 Senior government official of the

city states of Venice or Genoa (4)

3 Having fun in a sailing boat (8)

8 Adult woman (4)

9 1,000,000,000,000 (8)

11 Salad (6,4)

14 Inclined to talk a lot (6)

15 Smart (6)

17 hp (10)

20 God (8)

21 Men only (4)

22 Suspect (8)

23 Precipitation (4)

Down

1 State of depression (8)

2 Wander aimlessly in search of

pleasure (3,5)

4 Not anchored (6)

5 Device for sending messages, using

a mirror and the sun’s rays (10)

6 ___ Murdoch, author, d.1999 (4)

7 Slimy oil substance (4)

10 Bass or hake seller? (10)

12 Longfellow’s 19th-century Native

American chief (8)

13 H (8)

16 In fact (2,2,2)

18 Work the land (4)

19 25 December (4)