The BIG crossword
ACROSS
8 Be rebuked for giving a pet to the young girl (5,2)
9 Going off then to pack a kind of vase (2,3,4)
13 A commotion that gets you up (5) 14 Hard on the heels of the flower people (5)
15 In the women’s group, one is quite charming (7) 16 Continue, on getting power, to resist change (7) 17 Questions the daily (5) 18 Finish the asparagus off, darling (5)
20 That game is peculiar, good gracious! (5)
22 Offer to pull out (6)
23 Stays away from, because there’s a chasm in (6)
25 Mad that father and I can’t travel together (7)
27 Gossip, does listen to, yes (7) 30 Goes for the chaps (6) 31 Shopkeeper who’s behaving as though he were a doctor? (6) 32 For about an hour, were formulating the question (5) 35 Give battle now, besieging (5) 36 Happen again and again, when you set the dog on (5) 37 Except for a round at the local (7) 39 Talked turkey! (7)
41 In a ship, it keeps the interior from getting dirty (5) 42 Frightening a fly (5) 43 Entering into an agreement that’s potentially good (9)
44 Can a bar provide them for very little money? (7)
DOWN
1 It’s even more lacklustre: that’s what’s wrong (6)
2 Mark the urban area where there’s shortage (8)
3 Drink you having during flight when it’s cold? (3,2,3,3)
4 Well, then I got confused and embarrassed (2,3,4)
5 They reveal themselves to be thoroughly reprehensible lots! (7) 6 Keeps a close eye on, though there’s no longer any resistance (6,4)
7 So you take leave at the end of September (4)
10 Having the salesman walk up to is smart (6)
11 Argument coming back I’d got terribly upset by (7)
12 What the male star breaks? (6) 19 The face is both stern and very good (7)
21 With drink taken, unfortunately drive back (7)
24 What you dived into the grocer’s for? (5,6)
26 Evidence that the strip club is on fire? (5,5)
28 Sound indication that there’s pork for dinner? (9)
29 With water, there’s call to be economical (7)
30 A minor attack (6)
32 Want the scruffy pair to go in for a make-up (3,5)
33 Draw into conversation, as you promise (6)
34 Prim and a little proper with the rather discourteous (7) 38 They’re foolish to do it, anyhow, when one’s around (6)
40 Say something angrily when you scratch yourself on (4)