TODAY’S QUICK CROSSWORD IS ON

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CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

13 Be a good loser and prove popular (2,4,4) 14 I’m prepared to learn about geological subject (7) 15 A metal stand? That’s right (6) 16 Turning a pedal round, expose (6) 17 Gentleman brought stone in to be cut — huge (7) 18 Object that’s slender with big base (5) 19 First or last letter of ‘centre’ (4) 20 Doesn’t allow the freckles to return (5) 21 Attack for nothing . . . getting sent off (5) 22 Mean home to returning European (6) 23 As bonus, having hotel that’s luxurious (5) 28 Was a spectacular performer, though never becoming big (7) 30 He has to wait for his pay cheque (7) 33 Me first! (6,3) 36 For parking, demolishing, clear a piece of land (6) 38 Having had drink, right to be vigilant (5) 39 Resistant gout treated at hospital (5) 40 Chopper that can float on water (6) 42 Fish in beer. No good (5) 43 Guided the horse round again (7) 44 Perhaps buttonhole a fellow subordinate (6) 46 Spin round and look suggestively back (4) 49 Whip in the return game (4) 51 Drove off. Ball will go too far (6) 53 Deprive of job temporarily but allow to hang on to (7) 55 Only child and macho (5) 59 Concealed by fellow right beside (6) 60 Bit of tart — not half nice! (5) 61 Proper English, top grade (5) 62 Hold fast. Had come adrift before (6) 63 Infant, male; well-behaved, which is an advantage (2,3,4) 65 So that it’s shipshape (2,5) 66 Disconcert female with unexpected result (7) 70 By a quarter to, we are at school (5) 71 Ask daughter and self to return as well (6) 73 Spring time ends with flood (5) 75 Takes care of but resents (5) 80 Shut up and turn to go (4) 82 A bird on the move (5) 83 Was successful — and imitated (4,3) 84 Checked the clock had been wound (6) 85 After a quiet round, saying goodbye to, at Duke of York? (6) 86 Having a ring, or not, when you dial (7) 87 Obvious from testimony given at court (2,8)

DOWN

1 Mum has net untangled in a jiffy (6) 2 Find, when you travel north by (4,4) 3 Ring said girl (5) 4 Relevant to a foreign language and English (7) 5 Look for good instrument with which to cut (6) 6 Strike as small-time: crooked (5) 7 Trapped in swirling sand again (6) 8 Using a pen, holding it, squeeze (7) 9 The facts about Jane? (5,5) 10 Period of horse-drawn vehicle (5) 11 Advertising matter in the form of a disc? (8) 12 Carry from Paddington? (4) 24 ‘Screen adaptation,’ I put in, ‘is honest’ (7) 25 Coped with a lot, given time (5) 26 Someone teasing, on the Web? (7) 27 For the not bright, hard to understand (7) 29 Double A in ‘Mark’ (5) 31 At that point, the Queen entered (5) 32 Don’t keep a list (4) 34 Jack making comeback gets title. I lost contest . . . (6) 35 . . . as expected. Left ended fight (4) 37 Does it smell of wood, once outside is cracked? (7) 41 Despite the fact that rain seeps in by means of (7) 45 Speculate about returning, angry now (6) 47 Home, fractious tot is put in pen (7) 48 Keep up with, drink by drink (7) 50 Search for, find and tell to be careful (4,3) 52 Think some editors would cover it up (4) 54 With self-assurance, I go in to pop the question (5) 56 Cut and run into the hollow (5) 57 Norm is tight-fisted (4) 58 An offensive witticism (5) 60 Right site to develop for real estate (10) 64 Please repeat what was yelled at the umpire (4,4) 67 Whips some items from an electrical shop (8) 68 Gunfire in pub frenzy (7) 69 After fast, frantic, feasted on with hands (7) 72 Perform and get a kick from, in decrepitude (6) 74 Return for a spell (6) 76 Half the children going to church get saturated (6) 77 Looking sickly, leave, aboard vehicle (5) 78 Drove. He takes ring road in (5) 79 Mark, Laurel and I enter (5) 81 Making pedestrian jump, is it big laugh for driver? (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

13 Prove popular (2,4,4) 14 Feldspar, e.g. (7) 15 Metal stand (6) 16 Show (6) 17 Huge (7) 18 Article (5) 19 Central part (4) 20 Prevents (5) 21 Beginning (5) 22 Mean (6) 23 Luxurious (5) 28 Prevented growth (7) 30 Ship’s waiter (7) 33 Myself (6,3) 36 Packet (6) 38 Vigilant (5) 39 Difficult (5) 40 Sailing boat (6) 42 Fish for (5) 43 Guided (7) 44 Blossom (6) 46 Whirl (4) 49 Whip (4) 51 Exaggerate (6) 53 Hang (7) 55 Aggressively masculine (5) 59 Concealed (6) 60 Section (5) 61 Top grade (5) 62 Stick (6) 63 An advantage (2,3,4) 65 So that (2,5) 66 Disconcert (7) 70 Public school (5) 71 Request urgently (6) 73 Flood (5) 75 Looks after (5) 80 Attempt (4) 82 On the move (5) 83 Impersonated (4,3) 84 Checked (6) 85 Spud (6) 86 Busy (7) 87 Obvious (2,8)

DOWN

1 Instant (6) 2 Find unexpectedly (4,4) 3 Bell toll (5) 4 Relevant (7) 5 Look (6) 6 Strike (5) 7 Trapped (6) 8 Penning (7) 9 Blunt facts (5,5) 10 Juncture (5) 11 Round (8) 12 Carry (4) 24 Genuine (7) 25 Coped (5) 26 Cheep (7) 27 Dark (7) 29 Mark __ _ _ _ , author (5) 31 At that point (5) 32 List (4) 34 Skirmish (6) 35 Prearranged fight (4) 37 Perfume (7) 41 By means of (7) 45 Speculate (6) 47 Small house (7) 48 Prop up (7) 50 Be careful! (4,3) 52 Consider (4) 54 Self-assurance (5) 56 Cut (5) 57 Stingy (4) 58 Quip (5) 60 Real estate (10) 64 Cricketing appeal (4,4) 67 Swaps (8) 68 Fusillade (7) 69 Having employees (7) 72 Decrepitude (6) 74 Gain (6) 76 Saturate (6) 77 Buggy (5) 78 Crowd (5) 79 Mark (5) 81 Owl’s cry (4)