JUMBO CHRISTMAS DOUBLE CROSSWORD
Cryptic Clues Across
1 From America, kebabs and baked food (4) 4 Bash a group of politicians (5) 7 Mark feminine muffler (5) 10 One possibly capturing ten bovine animals (4) 12 A couple of pages with the French fruit (5) 14 and 50 Down. Carol won’t tell if hers breaks (3,5,6) 15 Ring gran excitedly, getting a musical instrument (5) 17 First of athletes attractive and keen (5) 20 Useless person’s fruit (5) 21 Just open a container (4) 23 Pantomime hero, Tom, goes off (6,5) 24 Doctor with a male tot (4) 26 Quantity of paper, say, for a singing group (5) 27 Something not new being oiled, perhaps (5) 28 Records in the fire? (4) 29 Silver and blue, it’s emitting a steady light (5) 30 Pebble’s weight (5) 31 Lasagne initially found in family’s oven (4) 32 Pixies messing up most of sleeve (5) 37 Do physical education before end of day, half asleep (5) 39 Glen distressed one man, being careless (9) 42 To some extent, commiserate with Scrooge (5) 43 Deserters returning with celebrity (4) 44 Nowt new from an urban area (4) 45 Discontented when given food at college (3,2) 48 Diplomatic cult with fat converts (7) 52 Not artificial – that’s to be expected (7) 53 Knocks back box (4) 55 Chances unusual Spanish starter (4) 57 Ghosts with liquor (7) 60 Eye membrane develops near it (6) 62 Stallion with husky, say (5) 63 Performing GI can’t, unfortunately (6) 65 Deserves reprimands (5) 67 Trio’s organised disturbances (5) 68 Woman identifying nut-tree (5) 69 Lack case Ben repaired (7) 70 Awfully shy men leaving out Eastern church songs (5) 72 Member meeting journalist carrying weapons (5) 73 Notes about conflict with a companion of Snow White (5) 75 Frugal loner imbibing eight pints (6) 77 Heartless spy going round at present, when it’s wintry (5) 78 Moneylender certain to be found in the outskirts of Uttoxeter (6) 83 Copy one friend eating it (7) 84 Fellows initially unhappy with list of dishes (4) 85 Assistant’s new idea (4) 87 Person sliding in an indoor shoe? (7) 88 Kicks first of tenors – awfully shrill (7) 90, 94 and 95 Across. Carol gives them drinkable wine – it’s fresh (2,3,5,9) 91 Witty person from the pack? (4) 92 Knock said shawl (4) 94 See 90 Across 95 See 90 Across 99 Second worker with a bringer of presents (5) 102 Silly people with web-footed birds (5) 104 Spoil end of play needing the mother of Jesus (4) 105 Large bag containing new light meal (5) 106 Potato product for councillor is soft (5) 107 Almost frighten Mark (4) 108 Discard a fragment (5) 110 Relation wanting some fun, clearly (5) 111 Repeat part of the chorus (4) 113 Weary? Yes, and drunk – it’s January 1 (3,5,3) 114 and 38 Down. Choice sweet? (4,7) 115 Cheroot for GI with car, perhaps (5) 117 Wine put down heavily (5) 119 Number of swans in second flat (5) 120 Drunkard from Minnesota (3) 121 Ten entering ring look at a wild chrysanthemum (5) 122 The man with directions finds birds (4) 123 Saint eating small confection (5) 124 From church always applaud with shouts (5) 125 See 4 Down
Down
2 Liquor from local, perhaps, found round house (7) 3 Dine in elaborate attire (3) 4 and 125 Across. Repartee about where a partridge was (4,4) 5 With bag, got on moving sledge (8) 6 Not long getting a drink of spirits (5) 8 Reddish-brown horse in stale joke (8) 9 Female rings head of department making edibles (4) 10 A person was victorious, reportedly (3) 11 European leader with reason for moving (7) 13 Quiet noblemen with gems (6) 16 Type of nut – desperate nomad eats 50 (6) 18 From Plymouth Ron got a host (6) 19 Crazy lot bet, showing courage (6) 22 Eccentric sang about the Spanish divine messengers (6) 25 Lifting unfinished dried fruit (6) 33 Guest’s face covering – it’s inside (7) 34 Note girl’s drinking vessel (5) 35 A lot of money needed for this sweet (4) 36 See 46 Down 38 See 114 Across 40 With directions, attempt to find the way in (5) 41 Many long to include this material (5) 42 Boss leaving out a trough (6) 46 and 36 Down. No boss is put off this pantomime (4,2,5) 47 Wise men finding silver in the outskirts of Miami (4) 49 Seasonal vocalist with corgi learns new composition (5,6) 50 See 14 Across 51 Awkward situation for Dot (4) 54 Top men aim to organise a theatrical entertainment (9) 56 Adorned red coat, perhaps, on journalist (9) 58 Lad with gran’s elaborate wreath (7) 59 Dwarf’s party, almost packed (7) 61 Track royal in queue (5) 64 Inside a hotel with the queen (5) 66 Blue shirt initially observed on commercial (3) 67 Blushing socialist (3) 71 Some saw a pitiful deer (6) 74 Man or a kid displaying a jacket (6) 75 Singlet designed to shine (7) 76 Tale rewritten after the expected time (4) 79 Leaders of unruly gangs extremely likely to be unattractive (4) 80 Peer let out when full (7) 81 All musicians initially take up this trendy instrument (5) 82 We trapped a saint? Rubbish! (5) 84 Jolly tight? (5) 86 Relay arranged in good time (5)
Quick Clues Across
1 Baked food (4) 4 Knees-up (5) 7 Item of neckwear (5) 10 Cattle (4) 12 Fruit (5) 14 and 50 Down. Christmas carol (3,5,6) 15 Church instrument (5) 17 Severe (5) 20 Yellow citrus fruit (5) 21 Slightly open (4) 23 Pantomime (6,5) 24 Tot (4) 26 Group of singers (5) 27 Something not new, informally (5) 28 Sections of tree-trunk (4) 29 Burning without flame (5) 30 Pebble (5) 31 Furnace (4) 32 Pixies (5) 37 One of Snow White’s dwarfs (5) 39 Careless (9) 42 Scrooge (5) 43 Heavenly body (4) 44 Urban area (4) 45 Disgruntled (3,2) 48 Diplomatic (7) 52 Not artificial (7) 53 Fight (4) 55 Probability (4) 57 Strong liquor (7) 60 Layer at the back of the eyeball (6) 62 Stallion (5) 63 Performing (6) 65 Estimates (5) 67 Disturbances of the peace (5) 68 Nut-tree (5) 69 Non-attendance (7) 70 Songs of praise (5) 72 Equipped with weapons (5) 73 One of Snow White’s seven companions (5) 75 Eight pints (6) 77 Wintry (5) 78 Moneylender (6) 83 Mimic (7) 84 List of dishes (4) 85 Assistant (4) 87 Indoor shoe (7) 88 Feelings of excitement (7) 90, 94 and 95 Across. Christmas carol (2,3,5,9) 91 Stiff paper (4) 92 Cover with paper (4) 94 See 90 Across 95 See 90 Across 99 Father Christmas (5) 102 Web-footed birds (5) 104 Mother of Jesus (4) 105 Light meal (5) 106 Fried potato slice (5) 107 Blemish (4) 108 Fragment (5) 110 Parent’s brother (5) 111 Reflection of sound (4) 113 January 1 (3,5,3) 114 and 38 Down. Rich suet dessert containing fruit (4,7) 115 Cheroot (5) 117 Inferior wine, informally (5) 119 “--- swans a-swimming” (5) 120 Drunkard (3) 121 Plant with daisy-like flowers (5) 122 “Three French ---, two turtledoves .... ” (4) 123 Dessert (5) 124 Applaud with shouts (5) 125 See 4 Down 89 One royal is identifying a flowering plant (4) 91 Place of worship essential to such urchins (6) 93 Average Conservative with the Spanish package (6) 95 Christmas pastry for me in epic, possibly (5,3) 96 Rots for a month, say, badly (6) 97 Ruth disturbed quiet songbird (6) 98 Systematic investigation of cars here, oddly (8) 100 A copyist’s attribute (7) 101 Current unit used by a politician before (6) 102 Dwarf initially getting drink, extremely pricey (6) 103 Quiet one left in different scene (7) 109 Graduate with a reason against meat (5) 112 Possesses part of township (4) 114 Needy pair pocketing rings (4) 116 Donkey found in passport office (3) 118 Some little tot is allowed to (3)
Down
2 Ethanol (7) 3 Dine (3) 4 and 125 Across. “...a partridge in a --- ---” (4,4) 5 Sledge (8) 6 Brief (5) 8 Stale joke, informally (8) 9 Grub (4) 10 Smallest whole number (3) 11 Moving (7) 13 Gems from oysters (6) 16 Nut (6) 18 Crowd (6) 19 Narrow-necked container (6) 22 “Hark! the herald --- sing” (6) 25 Dried grape (6) 33 Guest (7) 34 Drinking vessel (5) 35 Vast sum of money (4) 36 See 46 Down 38 See 114 Across 40 Access (5) 41 Synthetic fabric (5) 42 “Away in a - -” (6) 46 and 36 Down. Pantomime (4,2,5) 47 Wise men (4) 49 Seasonal vocalist (5,6) 50 See 14 Across 51 Catch sight of (4) 54 Christmas theatrical entertainment (9) 56 Adorned (9) 58 Wreath (7) 59 One of Snow White’s dwarfs (7) 61 Track (5) 64 Interior (5) 66 Unhappy (3) 67 Scarlet (3) 71 North American deer (6) 74 Jacket (6) 75 Shimmer (7) 76 Tardy (4) 79 Unattractive (4) 80 Full (7) 81 All (musicians) (5) 82 Squander (5) 84 Tipsy, informally (5) 86 Ahead of time (5) 89 Coloured part of the eye (4) 91 Place of worship (6) 93 Package (6) 95 Christmas pastry (5,3) 96 Rots (6) 97 Songbird (6) 98 Systematic investigation (8) 100 Attribute (7) 101 Unit of electric current (6) 102 One of Snow White’s dwarfs (6) 103 Absence of sound (7) 109 Pig meat (5) 112 Possesses (4) 114 Impoverished (4) 116 Fool (3) 118 Allow to (3)