THE GIANT CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

12 How one feels when a weight’s off one’s mind? (5-6) 13 A danger to people ahead of one (6) 14 Rover panting for food? (3,3) 16 Shot the cricketer’s turned to make (4) 17 Finishing by making angry (7,2) 18 Keen to start hammering out agreement (5) 19 Could be, from the sound of it, a parasite (4) 20 Convey what it is you must do to vote (3,6) 22 Coming in this evening — early evening (5) 23 Business not bad at the marketing exhibition (5,4) 27 Making joke about suppressing free speech? (7) 30 And we take right round for a mooch (6) 31 In that case, it’s the first of November (4) 32 Be forced to leave bed by kids. Pains in the neck (5) 35 Debar from bringing in European vegetable (4) 36 Not the sure-footed person alighting from coach? (7) 38 Kick the pestiferous creature back (4) 39 How one said airily ‘It’s portable’? (7) 42 Cheers for Germany (6) 45 Fifty. Age is about right. Great (5) 46 Someone making a great to-do about brewing tea? (7) 47 Are enthusiastic about — very. Are mad about (4) 48 Flying creature I trapped with lure (4) 50 Because First Nations are trapping in the ridges (7) 52 Whirl around parking centre and drive off (5) 54 Best ever CD? (6) 56 A ship or something found in its galley (7) 57 Grammatically, shouldn’t it be ‘is’ a zone (4) 59 Did carry gun and pull out (7) 61 Say goodbye to for a bit (4) 64 Think it’s round and wooden (5) 66 Not panicking, which is great (4) 67 It is, first and foremost, written for newspaper readers (6) 69 It’s either prison or put on the rack (7) 72 Unfortunate who does bad work and is paid little? (4,5) 73 “A difficult situation,” say, ‘for all’ (5) 74 Attack American woman Ed is going out with (9) 79 Shut up and run! (4) 81 Ring to scold and harangue (5) 82 Be concise when informing what ‘Lilliputian’ means (3,6) 83 A sweet and dependable person (4) 85 Certainly is smart to take action (6) 86 That’s a condensed version? Go on! (6) 87 Crème de la crème. That’s all I’ll say (3,4,4)

DOWN

1 Keep quiet — hard at first (4) 2 Having a hip replacement, old boy admitted irrational fear (6) 3 It reveals a slight fall (6) 4 From train, waving at mum in film (7) 5 Unenthusiastic about new diet pinhead is into (5) 6 Really wishing one hadn’t sunk so low? (4,6) 7 Hesitate to take on western state (5) 8 Is it all leaves and no flowers? (3,6) 9 It is, child, dear, a silly travesty (7) 10 Stop on the way back, myself (4) 11 Behold an object of revulsion (8) 15 Yes, it is an abnormal appetite (6) 21 Requiring, ourselves, time for practice (5) 24 Besides, it’s the coat to the right (7) 25 Pam Turner. The woman carrying a basket (6) 26 Sets on wildly and hurls missiles at (6) 28 Talk about no-good bands of hoodlums (5) 29 Make the numbers up (3) 33 Rang Ella back and did catch her in (7) 34 Child minder who never leaves the sofa? (6) 37 Rain activated seed, producing plants (5) 40 Food for the resident (5) 41 Did the same. Covering cracked lip, put it on (7) 43 Go off about when you write scathing critique (5) 44 Pass, giving a little OK sign (6) 46 If upset and angry at being jobless (5) 49 Turning right, I near collided with a coach (7) 51 High-pitched and noisy, as against quiet little brook (6) 53 Shoves male cat outside (6) 55 Brush with the law, say (5) 58 Nevertheless, am appearing in every one of these (3,3,4) 60 She has a point (3) 62 Ran and caught sweetheart up outside (5) 63 It will sparkle when there’s sun and it gets fine again (9) 65 Because putting back in confinement is wise (8) 68 On the whole, say, possibly it relieves (6) 70 The firm sends round in a very short time (7) 71 British title is different — snappy (7) 75 Asked to recite it, would one be disinclined to? (6) 76 Like the mad prison guard? (6) 77 Stop to pop a note into the box (5) 78 To the east, yes? (5) 80 Again taking it back to the bank (4) 84 Gosh! English to the heart! (4)