THIS WEEK’S BIG CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Form of apology (6,2) 5. Suddenly change direction 9. Animal’s den 11. Starts a game at tennis 16. Stingy person

17. Star of Pretty Woman, Julia ... 19. Cure-all

20. Star of Wedding Crashers, ... Vaughn 21. Irish word for Ireland 22. Take and hold for ransom 23. Milestone ages 25. Up-ended

27. Ahead of time 30. Lawn water dispensers 31. Crowds 32. Became older 34. Baseball gloves 38. Sully (a reputation) 42. Visually repugnant 43. Feel euphoric (5,2,3) 45. Mental spark 46. Lobster’s number of legs 47. Soothing ointment 48. Monetary advance 49. Send an electronic message 51. Attacked ferociously 52. On edge

55. Valley

57. Be mistaken 58. Apple seeds

60. Very thin piece

61. Test a person’s patience deliberately (3,2,2) 63. Aggrandise 66. Yuletide

68. Very strong wind 69. Gin and vermouth cocktail

70. Drinks frequently 73. Is alive

75. Cut with a scythe 76. Primate 78. Pinches

79. State of nervous uncertainty 80. Sprinting

82. Fair starting position, ... playing field 83. Timid 84. Stretched 86. Payable immediately

88. Aerated water 90. Evaluation 93. Ripping 95. Acquiesced 97. Lean

99. Adult kittens 100. Male bees

101. Gets rid of

105. This 24 hours 108. Captivates 110. Earliest stage of human development 111. Nosedive 112. Chimed

115. (Of clothing) closable without buttons (3,2) 116. Watered down 117. Spoke about a subject very briefly, ... over 118. Pungent root vegetable

119. Girls 120. Collections 121. Edged along 122. Entering by force

DOWN

1. Overindulge 2. Tourist centres 3. Belonging to us 4. Alien from Earth’s neighbouring planet 6. Green card (4,6) 7. Bacon slice

8. Hire for a job 9. Formal midday meal 10. Linear measure 12. US singer/actor,

... Presley 13. Caracas’ country 14. Fast

15. Kuala Lumpur’s country

18. Loose parcel 24. Roman god of the underworld

26. Hair plait 28. Whispered comments 29. Happy picturesque scene

32. Taking as your own child 33. Particles of fine wheat used for puddings 35. Rent payer 36. Cloyingly sweet 37. Kitchen appliance 39. Way of thinking 40. Bobbins 41. Evergreen plants with showy flowers 43. Passing craze 44. Doctor Zhivago star, ... Sharif

47. Insects with hard wing cases

50. Ask (to a party) 53. Magnificence

54. Four legged furniture item

56. Give up (a course or game) (4,3) 57. Motor in a car

59. Tiny skin holes 62. Regret

64. One of a rowing eight 65. Added a rising agent to 67. Gives permission to 69. Lose temporarily 71. Optical glasses 72. Star of The Blind Side, ... Bullock

74. Grain containers 77. 1990s US tennis player, ... Sampras 80. Groove

81. Papua New ...

85. Irk

87. Type of intercom 89. God or goddess 91. Paintings of ships, waves etc

92. Spend time deep in thought 94. Mixture of metals 96. Rodents of the Norwegian tundra 98. Unpleasant smells 102. Cooped up (5,2) 103. East African language 104. Star of Training Day,

... Washington 105. Buys and sells 106. Determined 107. Yellow alcoholic drink (3,3)

109. Quite sufficient 113. Married woman 114. Protein rich bean