SUNDAY CROSSWORD — 969

ACROSS:

2 Evaluations (11)

7 Ballet company

(5)

8 A record of a single year? (5)

9 Pot or pan used in cooking? (7)

13 Officially authenticated

(9)

15 Number one, celebrated or distinguished

(9)

18 Pest of roses (5)

20 Give right to (7)

21 Roman 58 (5)

22 Watch (7)

25 Endeavours (7)

27 Gives in, complies or relents

(7)

28 Slanted (5)

32 Images or icons

(5)

35 Grate or grind

(7)

40 Terse (7)

41 Belief that there is no God (7)

42 Make butter by agitating cream or milk (5)

43 Common analgesic (7)

44 Rope fiber (5)

45 Former or previous (9)

49 Unani-mously (9)

53 Person used as tool by another, idiomatically speaking (4,3)

54 The Scottish word for 'child'

(5)

55 Just right (5)

56 Slowed down

(11)

DOWN:

1 Large luxurious car (4)

2 State positively

(4)

3 Italian noble family (4)

4 Mid-East VIP (4)

5 Hindu woman's garment (4)

6 Put on guard (4)

9 Conducted or brought in (7)

10 Blue pencillers of the fourth estate? (7)

11 Tongue depressor (7)

12 Legendary siren

(7)

13 Country (6)

14 Mother _____ : Founder of Missionaries of Charity, alas no more with us

(6)

16 A political exile "regime" anagram? (6)

17 Craving for drink (6)

19 French playground - "carp" anagram? (4)

21 A room over a barn (4)

23 Green prefix?

(3)

24 Famous Italian composer (5)

26 Stay on the water (5)

29 Solid water (3)

30 A hackneyed phrase or idea

(6)

31 Scours (6)

32 Privy to (2,2)

33 Pertaining to the great seas

(7)

34 Small piece that has been cut off, just a little bit of scrap (7)

35 Ear bone (7)

36 Colourful arc (7)

37 In this way (4)

38 Makes a snakelike sound? (6)

39 Strolled (6)

46 Spielberg's Saving Private ___ (4)

47 Magician's stick

(4)

48 Loaf around (4)

50 Zola title (4)

51 Settled a debt

(4)

52 Epochs (4)