BRAINBUSTER

NO 998

ACROSS

1 Malfunctioning (3,2,5)

6 Grants amnesty to (7)

10 Walrus teeth (5)

13 Mineral springs (4)

16 Hen offerings (4)

19 Avoidance (7)

20 Showcase (7)

21 Skin opening (4)

23 Brief period of rain (6)

24 Take care of (7)

25 Tidy up (6)

26 Air Force . . . (US

president’s plane) (3)

27 Setting for a play (5)

29 Form (5)

31 Weep (3)

32 4th Gk letter (5)

33 Gambling chances (4)

34 Duty list (4)

35 Golden . . . (Betty White

TV series) (5)

36 More (4)

38 Celebrity (4)

40 Colour shade (3)

41 Flying toy (4)

43 Effortless (4)

46 Smarty-pants (4-3)

49 Small, decorative needle

case (4)

50 Pleasant (4)

52 Registers (7)

55 Pot top (3)

56 Look closely (at) (5)

58 Be in harmony (with) (5) 61 Tony . . . (former British

prime minister) (5)

62 Request (3)

63 Defeats unexpectedly (6) 64 Vlei grass (4)

65 South African airline

(abbr) (3)

67 Lack of thanks (11)

69 Misery (3)

70 Slip (9)

71 Ensure (9)

72 Dance genre (3)

73 Without previous

planning (9)

74 Queen, king or

three-quarter (3)

76 Disinclination to move (7) 78 Determination (7)

80 Birdlike (5)

81 Radio audience (9)

84 Hot to the tongue (5)

85 In abundance (6)

87 Shows disapproval (6)

89 Try out (4)

92 Possible but not yet actual

(9)

95 An immeasurably long

time (4)

97 Doubt-ridden (8)

98 Dipped (8)

99 Pigeon’s home (4)

101 Cut through (9)

105 Breakfast grains (4)

108 Trickled through a crack

(6)

109 German gun (6)

111 Put out (5)

112 Bungle (5)

114 Drone, eg (3)

116 Surplus (5)

117 Assign (to) (5)

119 Postpones (inf ) (7)

121 Seaport (abbr) (3)

122 Highly classified (3,6) 124 Actor’s signal (3)

125 Capital of Scotland (9) 127 Take a . . . (accept a postponement of an offer) (9)

129 Glum (3)

130 Vent one’s emotions

(3,3,5)

131 Drink gingerly (3)

133 Mid-leg joint (4)

135 Nautical mile (abbr) (2) 136 Extremely small amount

(4)

137 Mojito ingredient (3)

139 Blabs (5)

140 Jeans material (5)

143 . . . Heights (Mideast

region) (5)

145 Edge of a container (3) 146 No matter who (7)

150 Greek salad cheese (4) 151 Abound (with) (4)

152 Tufts of thread (7)

156 Domed recess in a

church (4)

158 Part of an archipelago (4) 159 Golf-ball support (3)

160 . . . of Eden (Steinbeck

book) (4)

161 Composer’s creation (4) 163 Summits (5)

164 Accurate (4)

166 Horse colouring (4)

168 Pond dwellers (5)

169 Atlantic Standard Time

(abbr) (3)

171 Shopping binge (5)

173 Musty (5)

175 Ingest (3)

177 Receive willingly (6)

178 Methods (7)

180 Completely removed (6) 182 Neighbour of Nigeria (4) 183 Crush underfoot (7)

184 Overshadow (7)

185 Indian dress (4)

186 Water carrier (4)

187 Each one (5)

188 Birds with wattles (7)

189 Contempt (10)

DOWN

1 Poetic tributes (4)

2 Append (3,2)

3 Be excessively full (8)

4 Sea anchor (4,4)

5 Salary increase (5)

6 Fastened with a nail (6)

7 Invigorating (10)

8 Event (10)

9 Most secure (6)

10 Pageant crown (5)

11 Window-washing tool (8) 12 Plot outline (8)

14 Camera output (short) (5) 15 (Have) observed (4)

17 Malevolent spirit (5)

18 Abba’s country (6)

21 Was successful in

an exam (6)

22 Picture puzzle (5)

28 Unnecessary item (3-9) 30 Type of edible fish (4)

36 Sharp-eyed birds (6)

37 Slide sideways (4)

39 Hints (5)

42 Courtroom event (5)

44 Largest continent (4)

45 Small, fluffy dog (inf ) (6) 47 Disconcerting (3-7)

48 Desire for food (8)

51 Company (abbr) (2)

53 Roomy bag (8)

54 Persistent (10)

57 Ethiopia (www) (2)

58 With reference to (7)

59 In vogue again (5)

60 Twist together (7)

61 Annoys constantly (7)

66 Puts on (7)

67 Iowa (abbr) (2)

68 European Union (abbr) (2) 69 Internet location (7)

72 Tribute to a bride and

groom (5)

75 Senior member of

a group (5)

77 Choppy (9)

79 Disorderly struggle (9)

82 Definite article (3)

83 Cashew, eg (3)

86 Belgian city (5)

88 Heats (5)

90 Ecology (short) (3-)

91 Wear it with a suit (3)

92 Vitality (3)

93 Louse egg (3)

94 Fib (3)

95 Much . . . About Nothing

(play) (3)

96 Passé (3)

99 Game with kings and

queens (5)

100 Distorted (7)

102 Angsty rock genre (3) 103 And so on (abbr) (3)

104 Garden of trees (9)

106 Assaults (7)

107 Phase (5)

108 Pens and pencils, eg (10) 110 Relating separately (10) 112 Bugs (7)

113 Walked stealthily (7)

115 Alienation (12)

118 Opera text (8)

120 Protective injections (8) 123 Pixie-like (5)

126 Greenland (www) (2)

128 Bullets, eg (short) (4)

129 Belgrade is there (6)

132 Learners (6)

134 Tricks (5)

138 Thick soured milk (SA) (4) 141 Related maternally (5) 142 Lace together (10)

144 Oodles (4)

145 Speech problem (4)

147 Made after taxes (6)

148 Disparage (8)

149 Deter (8)

150 Bazaar (4)

153 Tries (8)

154 Panicked rush (8)

155 Also-rans (6)

157 Simmer gently in

liquid (5)

162 Speak (5)

165 Feel indignation (6)

167 Evaluate (6)

170 Thin plate on a fish (5) 172 Reimburse (5)

174 Felt ill (5)

176 Tequila source (5)

177 Dull pain (4)

179 Use a spoon (4)

181 Garden soil (4)