THE BIGGIE
Phwoar – it’s a whopper! Enjoy your puzzling
TV presenter Clare Balding has revealed that she has never done and has no intention of ever doing what? to find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer.
ACROSS 1 In the nursery rhyme, Mother Hubbard’s was bare (8) 5 Worshipped, revered (8) 10 Halloween month (7) 15 and 18 Across Group that had the Christmas No1 in 1996, 1997 and 1998 (5, 5) 16 American elk (5) 17 Light brown spot on the skin (7) 18 See 15 Across and also with 75 Across the group that had the 2002 Christmas No1 Sound of the Underground (5, 5) 19 and 12 Down
X Factor winner who had the Christmas No1 in 2008 with Hallelujah (9, 5) 20 Distilled alcoholic drink (6) 21 Defended settlement often surrounded with a wooden palisade (8) 23 Part of a church (4) 24 Zodiac sign of the Twins (6) 25 Piece of snow (5) 26 Sport played on a 55 Across (6) 31 Tool for digging earth (5) 33, 69 Across, 27 Down and 48 Down First line of the Christmas No1 for Band Aid in 1984 and its follow-ups in 1989 and 2004 (3, 9, 4, 6, 2, 4, 2, 2, 6) 34 Network (4) 39 Correlating or deciding 11 Down (8) 40 Sets firmly into (6) 41 Menace, intimidate (8) 44 Ripped (4) 45 Parson (5) 46 Baked, a turkey perhaps (7) 50 and 68 Across one of Father Christmas’s other names (5, 4) 51 Dot in the sea on a map (4) 52 Irritation of the skin (4) 53 Course that might include Christmas pud (5) 54 Real, authentic (7) 55 Trial venue (5) 56 See 59 Down 60 Warm underwear (8) 61 Hook-and-eye connecting strip (6) 65 Plot a route (8) 68 See 50 Across 69 See 33 Across 70 Read carefully (5) 74 Intervene between two parties or come to the 58 Down (4, 2) 75 See 18 Across 76 Oak seeds (6) 77 Rubik’s - - -, toy (4) 82 See 30 Down 84 Warlock (6) 85 Australian animal with a pouch (9) 87 Recommended strongly, egged on (5) 88 Time passed by (7) 89 Reddish pigment (5) 90 In the thick of (5) 91 Lady on the stage (7) 92 Compact recording tape (8) 93 According to the song, one of many ‘on an open fire’ (8) DOWN 1 Shipwrecked person (8) 2 Wood preservers (7) 3 Traffic system with no oncoming vehicles (3-3) 4 Cures (8) 6 Theatre seats where black tie is sometimes required (5, 6) 7 See 30 Down 8 Focused study or skills on one particular area (11) 9 Highest rank in the British peerage (4) 10 US Pacific coast state (6) 11 ‘All - - - now,’ – come on everyone, sing along (8) 12 See 19 Across 13 Opposes, fights back (7) 14 Researchers into plant science (9) 22 Removes surface scum (5) 27 See 33 Across 28 Tallied up (5)
29 Food (4)
30, 7 Down, 82 Across and 36 Down First lines of the Christmas No1 for Queen in 1975 and again in 1991 (2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 2, 4, 4, 7) 32 Painting of a person (8) 35 Set of cards (4) 36 See 30 Down 37 Personal quality – singularity, uniqueness (13) 38 Let out, free (7) 42 One place where Santa might live (7) 43 Where to put your Christmas cards after writing them (4, 3) 47 Watches while downloading (7) 48 See 33 Across (8) 49 The first course of a meal (7) 57 Dumbfound (4) 58 Save from danger (6) 59 and 56 Across Words that complete this carol’s opening: ‘We three Kings of Orient are, Bearing - - - we traverse - - -? (5 and 4) 62 Devotees, fanatical followers, connoisseurs (11) 63 Restaurant kitchen’s head (4) 64 Sort of legal case that’s straightforward (4, 3, 4) 66 Not large (5) 67 Happiness, fun (9) 71 Make a wrong conclusion (8) 72 Intrude upon someone’s territory (8) 73 Traffic signal stop sign (3, 5) 74 Small orange, perhaps in a Christmas stocking (7) 78 Mythical horse-like beast with a single horn (7) 79 Weigh up, judge (6) 80 Made from wick and wax (6) 81 Wall pictures (6) 83 Gold bar (5)
86 Bath powder (4)