THIS WEEK’S BIG CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Dictatorial governments 4. Allege 8. Mischievous elf 11. Soaks in liquid 16. Spiritual teachers 18. Charmingly persuasive (6-7) 19. Red, blue or yellow (7,6) 21. Chewing, eating 23. Wash off soap suds 24. Early Rod Stewart hit, … Wind 26. Sort, kind 28. Look lustfully, ogle 31. Classic novel, … Doone 32. US spy network (1,1,1) 34. Heart or liver, eg vital … 35. Cry of a wolf 36. Pink-fleshed tropical fruit 37. Cook meat in the oven 38. Billy Joel hit, Uptown … 40. Slippery fishes 42. Australian actor, … Worthington 43. Region, zone 47. Trainee hospital doctor 48. Attic, roof storage space 50. Unaccompanied performance 53. Short comedy scene in a revue 54. Longest river in Europe 56. United Arab Emirates city state 57. Polished and shiny 60. Deserved 61. Relaxed (2,4) 64. Drilling platform, … rig 65. Read quickly 67. Common table condiment 70. Church bench 71. Egypt’s river 72. Robbers 73. Historical periods 74. Large 76. Brings to a conclusion 79. Heap, stack 81. Actor, comedian and composer, … Minchin 83. Made amends 85. Trick played on one day of the year (5,4) 86. Fancy cake 87. Admit guilt (3,2) 88. Irish playwright, …Wilde 89. Equipped, … out 90. Classic hit by rock band Queen, Don’t … Me Now 93. Abandoned, … behind 95. Hinder by obstruction 96. Cameo gemstone 99. Style of poem 100. Breathe in with shock 102. Embroiders 104. Proportion 105. Cancel a marriage 106. Chief in importance 108. “Laughing” African scavenger 109. Young teenage boy 111. Utilisation 113. Tropical edible tubers 116. Widespread 118. Wound open from a spiral 120. Dinnerware item 121. Red salad vegetable 122. Outdoor venue with fairground rides etc (9,4) 124. Game played before the main match (7-6) 125. Grain containers 126. Broad-brimmed cowboy’s hat 127. Invited 128. Birds in a gaggle 129. Artist’s paint-mixing board
DOWN
1. Restarted 2. HQ for monitoring spacecraft (6,7) 3. Australian cricketer, … Johnson 5. Probable 6. Pay no attention 7. Large cup 8. Baby dog 9. Tel Aviv is there 10. Resistant to infection 12. Swamping 13. Bag’s long carrying handle (8,5) 14. Pearl necklaces 15. Distinctive flavour 17. Forcefully stuff in 20. Against 22. Cool self-assurance 25. Debate, quarrel 26. Labels 27. Musical instrument, … accordion 29. Communicate via the internet 30. List showing jobs to be done 32. Group of actors 33. Upper limbs 39. Australian native dog 40. Be jealous of 41. Shade of purple 44. James Dean movie, … Without a Cause 45. Cambodia’s continent 46. Shakespeare play,
The Taming of the … 48. Garden grass 49. Following on from (7,2) 51. Exactly correct (2,3,4) 52. Probability 55. Graceful antelope 58. Apply restrictions to 59. Sharp metal point 62. Bejewelled head dress 63. Brownish tone of old photographs 65. Song, I Can … Clearly Now 66. Help, assist 68. Boxing legend, Muhammad … 69. Golf peg 74. Yaps 75. Grasped what it’s all about (3,3,7) 77. Fictional teenage sleuth, … Drew 78. Depletes (strength) 79. Storyline 80. Stretchy swimsuit material 81. Item known as a “gogglebox” (10,3) 82. Obstinate animals 84. Extinct bird of Mauritius 86. Clutch, grasp 91. Native American religious object, … pole 92. Body of still water 93. Show the way 94. Mushrooms and toadstools 97. Your nephew’s sister 98. Radiographer’s photograph (1-3) 100. Adhesive 101. Boot with rollers 103. Becomes shrunken and wrinkled 106. Flavoursome mince sphere 107. Mouse noises 110. TV soap, Home and… 112. Turn loose (3,4) 114. Takes into the family 115. Meagre 116. Turn down an offer 117. Champagne glasses 119. Animal lairs 121. Accused’s surety money 123. Baby goat 124. Gearwheel tooth