TODAY’S QUICK CROSSWORD IS ON
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
12 Agree to act as escort (2,5,4) 13 A fragile courage (6) 14 The game of love? (6) 16 Signal to fellow prisoner (4) 17 Carried on when one took precedence over (4,5) 18 OK name for a boy (5) 19 Informed 00 had been dismissed. Too old (4) 20 Insect found in dairies? (9) 22 Crouch to prevent ball getting through (5) 23 Avoid having to use the demister? (4,5) 27 After the worst possible recession, stop income (7) 30 Wandering star. Yes, wandering (6) 31 Catch for a duck, grabbing (4) 32 Function dad got ratty at being excluded from (5) 35 Support for the president (4) 36 Greasing palms is not on the level (7) 38 Rehoused half, inured to (4) 39 Very happy now, in train, travelling (7) 42 Look! A bird! (6) 45 A sitter dropped it and it’s found in the nursery (5) 46 Qualification for and state of health (7) 47 Yield — to the beggar’s pleas? (4) 48 Establish a rapport with James (4) 50 Caught entering, Peter’s struggling, showing spirit (7) 52 Worries about the earth: vehicles that create pollution (5) 54 Make one’s home in — or seat (6) 56 Having same trouble, rue rewinding the tape (7) 57 Animal. Large one. One without a tail (4) 59 Got better after dose was reduced by half (7) 61 Whichever way you look at it, it’s wrong (4) 64 Sees as mistaken pessimism, to begin with (5) 66 Rain and mist about? That’s just what it likes (4) 67 Among the palms, unusually, find English trees (6) 69 Succeed in getting her to take it (7) 72 Co-star, myself and half the cast going to foreign country (5,4) 73 Any objection put in will peeve (5) 74 Celeb, good and drunk on a spree, incarcerated (9) 79 Marrying, Mary leaves the band (4) 81 Is it beyond an amateur cook? (5) 82 Fast indication the storm forecast was accurate (9) 83 Be carrying, or carried (4) 85 Plead with one, asking to go away (6) 86 Cat, upsetting drink, misbehaves (4,2) 87 Found, when one increased staff (4,5,2) DOWN 1 Great — or not so hot (4) 2 Running away, trip (6) 3 Return with a news flash right after (6) 4 In middle half, gale does diminish (7) 5 To fasten, turn sections upside-down (5) 6 Well done, is beneficial health-wise (4,3,3) 7 Are on way over to gawp at (5) 8 Contributed to the conversation on slimming? (7,2) 9 They mean to go back in for treatment (7) 10 Tease a little about (4) 11 Tough new law, begin to get round (8) 15 A communication giving permission? (6) 21 Put into words, but terribly veiled (5) 24 A predilection for banking (7) 25 Help the lamebrain at first (6) 26 Determined to be protected from the elements when roughing it? (6) 28 With icing, wrote two boys’ names on cake? (5) 29 The figure coming up is after tax (3) 33 Again in shock at what one’s wearing (7) 34 Lots and lots of male animals (6) 37 Plant that put an end to rambling rose spreading (5) 40 Book of the month, ‘Evil Has No Heart’ (5) 41 Upbraid for half hour, creating scene about (7) 43 Got up and are coming round, so shift! (5) 44 Again, so right to have recourse to (6) 46 The female does provide data (5) 49 Ensure your lineage is not to be sniffed at? (7) 51 ‘Pang’ spelled with double GE (6) 53 Something launched as food for vegetarians (6) 55 Story about a black list (5) 58 Little money one has to one’s name? (7,3) 60 Agree to stand, you assume (3) 62 Due to there being a hole on part of plane (5) 63 The joker who accessed contents of safe? (9) 65 On condition that it’s laid on (8) 68 Fail to make the land arable (6) 70 Someone handling a slippery dispensing tube? (7) 71 Doesn’t allow to forget about; cares (7) 75 Note snail crawling round as an indication (6) 76 A mediocrity, but that’s immaterial (6) 77 Rubbish. It’s west. East is wrong (5) 78 The infant’s returned holding a furry animal (5) 80 OK attempt to do somersaults (4) 84 I go off about, creating a disturbance (4)