THE BIG CROSSWORD

1 Clumsy

5 Theatre promoter

12 Flings 13 Taws, shooters, etc.

14 Parasitic insect

15 Skills

16 Racquet-shaped footwear

18 Hardened

19 Proverb

21 Ruled

24 Slippery fish

26 Chew

28 Open pie

30 Spurious imitation

31 Advance money

33 Wearies

34 At the stern

35 Melded

36 Bearing

37 Young men

38 Understands

39 Sod

41 Reduce numbers of

44 Long-term prisoner

46 Nurses

48 Intricate decoration

50 Old silver coin

52 Adjacent

54 Grown-up

55 Raw recruits

56 Ballroom dance

57 All over

58 Puckered

DOWN

1 Continual

2 To motion

3 Motivated

4 Clear, as of water

6 Think deeply (over)

7 Colophony

8 Obstinacy (4-4)

9 Makes more coarse

10 Without limits (4-5)

11 Bold

17 Supercharges

20 Stun with noise

22 Small island 23 Rock

25 Australian birds

27 Cringe

28 Recount

29 Tufted cord

32 Informative

36 Cold dairy drink

40 A lie

42 Pressingly

43 Make higher

45 Bathtub, sink, e.g.

47 Dazed state

49 Spoilsport

51 Shell trumpet

53 Series of six balls in cricket