THE GIANT CROSSWORD
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
13 Time off from the main job (5,5) 14 Tract of grassland left wild (7) 15 Pair caging love bird (6) 16 Homes and Gardens about America (6) 17 How the darned thing was sent off to space? (7) 18 Penned — and we penned nonsense (5) 19 What cockney ghost will do? She’s one of the family (4) 20 Not suitable, being in poor shape physically (5) 21 Confront with what could be a Vandyke (5) 22 Go back on your endorsement of the plan? (6) 23 Crystal is a good girl (5) 28 Delicate kid the documents are about (7) 30 Ascending to where patients are no longer in bed? (7) 33 Proved to have been switched off (6,3) 36 When Ash Wednesday came round, was cleansed (6) 38 Gather, from the fool’s confession (5) 39 Seizing power is a kind of game (5) 40 As usual, I’ll put in the post (6) 42 He got caught in the act. Awful crook (5) 43 Next, filling is stale mince. Horrible (7) 44 Basic necessity bought at stationer’s (6) 46 Drop off at the building (4) 49 See the light (4) 51 Really disliking making the old crone carry the can (6) 53 Fish. Little one. No good (7) 55 ‘Stone Age,’ take a time to go through (5) 59 Prefer, therefore, to accompany one right to (6) 60 Wouldn’t budge. Gave no rises (5) 61 Called, by the English, a ‘cooker’ (5) 62 A gold key is found inside. Antique (3-3) 63 So a pope meets with soldier in TV drama (4,5) 65 Say human beings have got into chaos (7) 66 My word for ‘latent ability’ (7) 70 On return, I described environment as ‘creepy’ (5) 71 Harsh, creating stir at court (6) 73 Time and again, put in for grant (5) 75 Are catching act and love it (5) 80 Dry when rain comes in to help (4) 82 Figure the rate out afterwards (5) 83 How hesitant speaker speaks — and dries up (7) 84 Are circling round us and galvanise into action (6) 85 Feels notices should be posted round quarters (6) 86 As usual, awfully green: a rookie (7) 87 Verne is always right (5,5)
ACROSS
13 Sailor’s holiday (5,5) 14 Printed tract (7) 15 Bird (6) 16 Homes (6) 17 Confounded (7) 18 Penned (5) 19 Relation (4)
QUICK CLUES
20 Not suitable (5) 21 Facial hair (5) 22 Pattern (6) 23 Crystal (5) 28 Delicate (7) 30 Ascending (7) 33 Switched off (6,3) 36 Cleansed (6) 38 Gather (5) 39 Game (5) 40 Post (6) 42 Deceive (5) 43 Horrible (7) 44 Basic necessity (6) 46 Outhouse (4) 49 See (4) 51 Loathing (6) 53 Fish (7) 55 Gemstone (5) 59 Prefer (6) 60 Remained motionless (5) 61 Cooker (5) 62 Ancient (3-3) 63 TV serial (4,5) 65 Remark on (7) 66 Give your word (7) 70 Eerie (5) 71 Severe (6) 73 Consent (5) 75 Love (5) 80 Parched (4) 82 Afterwards (5) 83 Shrivels (7) 84 Excite (6) 85 Feels (6) 86 Usual (7) 87 Always right (5,5)
DOWN
1 Hurled (6) 2 Urgent (8) 3 Good poker hand (5) 4 Former celebrity (3-4) 5 Mend (6) 6 Horse race (5) 7 Gave to (6) 8 Least intelligent (7) 9 Forte (6,4) 10 Caught sight of (5) 11 Added up to (8) 12 Vegetable (4) 24 Frankfurter (7) 25 Chute (5) 26 Dessert wine (7) 27 Cut (7) 29 Attain (5) 31 Intends (5) 32 Sprint (4) 34 Inventor’s licence (6) 35 Majority (4) 37 Encourage (7) 41 Pasta (7) 45 Ruminate (6) 47 Healing treatment (7) 48 Dry (7) 50 Aim (7) 52 Midday (4) 54 Dance (5) 56 Rings (5) 57 Had been (4) 58 Linger (5) 60 Beginning (5,5) 64 Heaven (8) 67 Second-rate (8) 68 Drifter (7) 69 Thoughtful (7) 72 Obstruct (6) 74 Gathers (6) 76 Increasing (6) 77 Conflict (5) 78 Yet (5) 79 Ward off (5) 81 Regrets (4)
DOWN
1 Puzzled for about an hour. Won’t crack (6) 2 Ringing the bell marked ‘Urgent’? (8) 3 A poker face won’t, when player gets this (5) 4 Did visit the one-time celebrity (3-4) 5 Go off with seller to take a look (6) 6 Tape broken, novice takes second place in race (5) 7 He had also gone in and given to (6) 8 With sun low, set off, which is most stupid (7) 9 Hearts were Don Juan’s (6,4) 10 Looked despicable: half-cut, staggering (5) 11 Added up to ‘Impossible to repair’ (8) 12 If jumping, is not a runner (4) 24 When up, custom is to have food (7) 25 Photograph popular feature of children’s playground (5) 26 After setting alarm’s having a drink (7) 27 Cut small, had a bite (7) 29 Get as far as, in her garbled account (5) 31 Intends to snap up about fifty (5) 32 ‘Drat!’ in Morse Code? (4) 34 Obvious it’s a defence against pirates (6) 35 The greatest part of a doctor’s time (4) 37 Reassure listener, then, worried about (7) 41 A slang translation to English of ‘pasta’ (7) 45 Think the gentle drone disturbed (6) 47 They introduced rhythmic monologue into treatment (7) 48 86 degrees in Fahrenheit, sun moving through, is parched (7) 50 Intend work to be in prose (7) 52 Time for reflection, too (4) 54 Kick round, to music (5) 56 Rings up, putting pound in slot (5) 57 Had been having a little run-in (4) 58 Drag their heels, leaving black marks on everything they touch? (5) 60 The beginning of horse-drawn transport? (5,5) 64 Father, dear, is fantastic! Just heaven! (8) 67 ‘The wine, again,’ I put in, ‘is second-rate’ (8) 68 I’m backing giving government money to itinerant (7) 69 Thoughtful, is even arranging parking ahead (7) 72 Obstruct by what possible right? (6) 74 Gathers, with gravity, it tilts (6) 76 Is in a band that’s on its way up (6) 77 Fight for a pound in coins (5) 78 Not making a move yet (5) 79 Mr Ward? (5) 81 Is contrite but it’s not altogether true, somehow (4)