The Colossus
ACROSS
2. Without a chief 7. Natural seasoning (3,4) 11. Thrilled, rapt 17. Toy bricks 18. Special skill 19. WWII, World – Two 20. Spheres 21. Intelligently 22. Levying process 23. Organised in advance 26. Fringe 28. Commuter vehicle, – bus 29. Accompanies 31. Fuss (2-2) 34. Backbone segment 36. Smears 39. Seabirds, Pacific – 41. Oily food fish 43. Mumbai cuisine, eg 46. Tibetan priests 47. Drama sections 49. Shopping squares 51. Stealthier 52. Remembrance monument, cenotaph 53. “Atishoo” sound 54. Rio Carnival music, eg 55. Gather, – crops 56. Moved restlessly 61. Submerges 64. Skidded 65. Traffic snarl-up 66. Urgency 67. Foot digit 69. Uptight 71. Western Canadian province 74. Tread roughly, – on 76. Shabby and disreputable-looking 78. Consume 79. Obstructed, blocked 81. Distress call (1,1,1) 83. Extremely 84. Monarch’s dominion 86. Skinniness 89. Brazil’s neighbour 90. Unlucky (3-5) 93. Remove fleece from 94. Nut centre 97. Flare up, light 100.Wall painting 101. Entrance 103. Percussion instrument 106. Peaceful and picturesque 108. Highways 109. Regain, – your losses 110. Peace 111. Late 112. Paddock 113. Shakespearean king 115. Magic spell 118. Loose coins (5,6) 121. Burden of responsibility 124. From Dublin 128. Shred, – cheese 129. Exclusive group 130. Pointlessness, futility 134. Falsely incriminate 135. Red Sea nation 136. Church keyboard 137. Mother’s brother 138. Major African river 139. Refrigerate 140. Unobservant 143. Clumsy 144. Gullible 147. Fast plane noise, – boom 150. Grain storage facility 151. Computer encoders 155. Prisoner of war camp bosses, eg 157. Hideous 158. Unfasten 159. Tripe or liver 162. Coil 164. Chant 167. Earnest requests 168. White ant 169. Valuer 172. Lengthy adventure 173. Aged photo hue 174. Beer-lemonade beverage 177. Lebanese capital 180. Sifter 181. Antithesis 183. V or X, Roman – 184. Five-sided figure 186. Lariat 187. Silly 188. They, her and 191. Tending patients 195. Fly trap 197. Needing a scratch 198. Hoards, gathers 200. Lasts 202. Feeble, wimpy 203. Immense time span 205. Irked by delay 206. Bronzing lotion, fake – 208. Soviet Union (1,1,1,1) 209. Milan residents, eg 212. Women’s rights activist 215. Splodge 217. Shinbone 220. Weigh up 222. Seventies, eighties, – 224. Prosperous 226. Intercede (4,2) 228. Cuban president, Raul – 229. Circular coral reef 230. Earlier, – than 232. Expelling, throwing out 235. Haircuts 236. Until now, as yet (2,3) 238. Glow 241. Protest march (abbrev) 242. Proxy 243. Shell out too much 244. Christmas tree ornament 246. Finding precisely 252. Investigate (4,4) 253. Highly desirable 254. Half, – circle 255. Flow away 256. Snooker stick 257. Smell strongly 258. Comes to pass 259. Staying power 260. Out-of-court agreement
DOWN
1. Make mind up 2. Necklace picture case 3. Interrupting cough 4. Impartial (4-6) 5. Cairo citizen 6. Depleted 7. Eyelid inflammation 8. At a distance, from – 9. Invisible emanation 10. Tiny branch 11. Undermines, – confidence 12. Peru’s Lake – 13. Residential flats 14. Pork chop cut 15. Give freely 16. Chafe 24. Strolls 25. Queasiness 26. Dry up 27. Gran’s sister, eg (5-4) 28. Country, – Lanka 30. Crack army force (1,1,1) 32. Hospital aides 33. Yesteryear (5,4) 35. Historical period 37. Invites 38. Capital of BosniaHerzegovina 39. Betting 40. Leo symbol 42. Family 44. The – of Capri 45. Freshest 47. Boil gently 48. Otherwise, or – 50. Couch 53. Mediocre (2-2) 57. Fictional 58. Jabber 59. In friendly way 60. Corrosive air pollution (4,4) 62. Revoke 63. Forever 65. Inky, – black 68. Telepathy (1,1,1) 70. Soil excavator (5,5) 72. Provoke¸ –anger 73. British car, – Martin 74. Rail transport 75. Allow inside 77. Movie, – in Beverly Hills (4,3,3) 80. Brief views 82. Soccer ball innards 85. Teacher 87. Greek love god 88. Wiry-haired dog, – Terrier 91. Hawaiian garlands 92. Utter, – a cry 95. Perch 96. Voice, – opinions 98. Munich natives, eg 99. Incite to action 102. Ruins researcher 104. Departed, had – 105. Chances 107. Detoxified, – coffee 113. People from Tripoli 114. Overseas letter service 116. More raucous 117. US honeymoon falls 119. Register at hotel (5,2) 120. Grimmest, most serious 122. Scolding persistently 123. Confidentiality 125. Thus 126. Pier, wharf 127. In unison (2,3) 128. Polite chaps 130. Tertiary student campus (abbrev) 131. Argentina’s – Peron 132. CD brand (1,1,1) 133. Prosecute 141. Aggravated 142. Fanged monster 145. Send goods by plane 146. Career 148. Remote 149. Imprudent (3-7) 152. Liqueur, Tia – 153. Steamed pudding fat 154. Speaks haltingly 155. Dollar division 156. Behind 160. Pounce, jump 161. Significant 163. Nuisance 165. Memo, office – 166. Dreamers 167. Mexican currency 170. Similar-meaning words 171. Helpful 175. Motorbike gang, – Angels 176. Snouts 178. Very annoyed 179. Invert 182. Tel Aviv is there 185. Nerve cell 188. Feigned 189. Biological community 190. Colourant 192. Pragmatists 193. Monogram letters 194. Have, possess 195. Wisely used, time – (4-5) 196. Onlooker 199. Weather feature (2,4) 201. Sibling’s daughters 204. Lubricants 207. Cash dispensers (1,1,2) 210. Adversary 211. Is not (3’1) 213. Enter, go – 214. Crucial 216. Mix with a spoon 217. Collaborate, – with (4,2) 218. Bobbing on water 219. Pet’s parasite 221. Occupy chair 223. Resolves, – the problem (5,3) 225. Anticlimax (3-5) 227. Chinese exercise system, – chi (1’2) 228. Cable News Network (1,1,1) 231. Light beam 233. Joker, court – 234. Lassie’s breed 235. Conical tents 237. Knaves 239. Allege 240. Kayaked 245. Fleshy part of ear 247. Pen tips 248. Killer whale 249. Hitler follower 250. Ancient Andes Indian 251. Competent Solution in next month’s issue.