BRAINBUSTER
NO 657
ACROSS
1 Re: a situation that’s gone
awry (4-6) 6 Russian urn (7) 10 Friend (3) 12 Parts (6) 15 Two . . . in a pod
(identical) (4) 18 Beat (7) 19 Walk clumsily (7) 20 A bit (4) 22 Other than (6) 23 Proof of purchase (7) 24 Fiddle (6) 25 Cage (3) 26 Riotous fight (5) 28 Lyric poem (5) 30 Snakelike fish (3) 31 Fireplace (archaic) (5) 32 A standard of
achievement(4) 33 Expert (4) 34 That (plural) (5) 35 As well (4) 37 Bringing up the rear (4) 39 Amateur Boxing
Association (abbr) (3) 40 Sports contest between
two countries (4) 42 Silly (4) 45 Move slowly (7) 48 Worthless outer
covering (4) 49 Incline (4) 50 Humourless (2-5) 53 Plunge (3) 54 Joy (5) 56 . . . comes before a fall (5) 59 Woollen cloth (5) 61 Male offspring (3) 62 Reverberate (4) 63 Travel over snow (3) 64 Tilling tool (3) 65 Comfort (4) 66 II (Roman numeral) (3) 68 Diligent person (inf )
(5,6) 69 The colour of blood (3) 70 Holiday huts (9) 71 Provisional (9) 72 Sauce (French) (3) 73 Of very poor quality
(5-4) 74 Music genre (3) 76 James Bond’s favourite
drink (7) 78 Doctor (7) 80 Southern African group
of languages (5) 81 Skilled (9) 84 Pancake (5) 85 Plot a course (6) 87 Hanky (6) 89 Region (4) 92 Usually eaten with
spaghetti (9) 94 Strokes (4) 96 A cheat (8) 97 Open to suggestion (8) 98 Docile (4) 100 Education (9) 101 Russian emperor (4) 104 Failed to reach the
target (6) 105 Tags (6) 107 Restraint (5) 108 Dictate (9) 112 Not rural (5) 113 Paler (7) 115 Not as bitter (7) 117 22nd Greek letter (3) 118 Very good (9) 120 Utilise (3) 121 Vehicle used by Nasa
(9) 123 Complicated
procedure (9) 125 Rested on a chair (3) 126 Dish of lettuce and
croutons (6,5) 127 Speck (3) 129 Froth (4) 130 Neither here . . . there
(3) 131 Unused (3) 133 Volcano in Sicily (4) 134 Hardly any (3) 136 Absurd (5) 137 Rapidity (5) 140 Profits (5) 141 A . . . on the back (3) 142 Eight-sided figure (7) 146 Star (4) 147 . . . and proper (4) 148 Nervous (inf ) (5,2) 152 Small island (4) 154 Unit of data (4) 155 Signal to an actor (3) 156 Compass point (4) 157 A fruit (4) 159 Narrow pieces of land
(5) 160 Split open (4) 162 Spoil (4) 164 Trample (5) 165 Pick (3) 167 Trunk (5) 169 Spike (5) 171 Long shaft for a boat
(3) 173 Looked intently (6) 174 Birds (7) 175 Partners (6) 177 “Understood!” (1,3) 178 Thrilled (7) 179 Unsightliest (7) 180 Extinct flightless bird
(4) 181 To stand firm (6) 182 River in Germany (3) 183 Small pieces of chicken
(7) 184 Get out of the way (5,5)
DOWN
1 Head of the Roman
Catholic Church (4) 2 Quickly (5) 3 Seven-sided figure (8) 4 Disorderly (4-4) 5 Speak slowly (5) 6 Hi-fi (6) 7 Marriage arranger (10) 8 With many different
types (10) 9 Schedule (6) 10 Instrument played by
Richard Clayderman (5) 11 Opera text (8) 12 . . . of (large amount
of) (8) 13 Strangle (5) 14 Prophet (4) 16 Oust (5) 17 Elderly person (6) 20 An allergic reaction (6) 21 Round fruit (5) 27 Keen (12) 29 Try out (3,2,3,4) 35 Surrounded by (6) 36 Halt (4) 38 Protection (5) 41 Bender (5) 43 Includes (4) 44 Opened wide (mouth)
(6) 46 Unprofitable (10) 47 Suave (8) 51 Merge (states, eg) (8) 52 Sense of right and
wrong (10) 55 Crooked (4) 56 Bonus (7) 57 Implant (5) 58 Emit (7) 60 Had on (4) 67 Vague (7) 69 Filled (7) 72 Military regime (5) 75 Ordinary people (inf ) (5) 77 Mind (9) 79 Repeat (9) 82 Guards (7) 83 Two-wheeled
container (7) 86 Uncles and . . . (5) 88 Vibrate (5) 90 Type of grain (3) 91 Request (3) 92 Title for a married
female (3) 93 Sink (3) 94 Dog or cat, eg (3) 95 Rooibos, eg (3) 98 Agitated (5) 99 Big-headed person (7) 102 Restrained (7) 103 Series of mountains (5) 104 Thinly sliced bread (5,5) 106 Encircled (10) 108 Readiness (12) 109 Pardons (7) 110 Dublin is its capital (7) 111 Alienation (12) 114 Radiant (8) 116 Distortion (8) 119 Big (5) 122 Emblem (4) 124 A thought (4) 125 Overland expedition
(6) 128 Make ragged (6) 130 Childminder (5) 132 Flutters (eyelid) (5) 135 Yarn (4) 138 Exercising (10) 139 Accumulated
knowledge (10) 141 Tube (4) 143 Midpoint (6) 144 Misfortune (8) 145 Fence in showjumping
(8) 149 And the rest (Latin) (8) 150 Learned (8) 151 Confirm (6) 153 Sandals, eg (5) 158 Broadcast (5) 161 Capital of England (6) 163 Editions of a magazine
(6) 166 Strips (5) 168 Religious custom (5) 170 Map book (5) 172 Garlic mayonnaise (5) 173 Jetty (4) 176 Type of fish (4)