28 GIANT CROSSWORD

ACROSS

9 10 12 13 14 15

17 18

19

20 23

25 26

27 29

32

34 35

36 37 38

39

He's fiendishly hard up and has my sympathy (4,5)

A tense "No improvement is possible for me" (9)

Lose your temper at the right time (4)

Continue boringly to tell you what prompted the child's nightmare? (6)

Not very good, having mostly little-known actors in it (3,4)

As the prisoner does when there's a rash of escapes (6,3) Brown is fattening (9) Confer, unusually, with the East to put it into effect (7)

From Rome, getting right back in a shake (6)

She got caught by the lion (4) Wearing it, does one look like nothing on earth (9)

This bird, among others, gets breadcrumbs (9)

If it's broken, that's understandable (4)

At sea, it's bad (6)

Returns because the wrens inside must be freed (7) Sheltered in a bower he had outside (9)

Sick and dirty (3,6)

A sailor giving an officer a parcel (7)

Carry the fellow in drunk (4,2) Drink, which is sad (4) Escorted to some low venue, as promised (9)

Cheat the firm and he'll arrest you (9)

SOLUTIONS FROM LAST WEEK

DOWN

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8

11 16 19 21

22 23

24

25 28 29

30 31 33 34

If it can be worked, be getting parole, somehow (8)

A promontory in the mouth of the river? (6,2,4)

Making clear to one, with a hint (8) A little sun: fair (6)

Top up the drink the freelance has (8)

As far as "useless and making mischief" (2,2,2,4) Assumed, for the moment, that do rent out (5,2)

Began with the fat boys (two of them) on the inside (7,3)

Run further (5)

A nut cracker Nellie is holding (6) Nip the nipper (3) Convince that you'll give notice (5,2,5)

Quickly set off for the outskirts (6) What made you laugh in the doctor's waiting room? (4,6) Had too little endurance, one grasped (10)

The gun that beats the others? (3) Refined woman you are fond of (8) A fellow with the gift of the gab and rich (8)

That he's new to here is more surprising (8)

Catches in the river and the locals are put out about it (7) Embarrassed at having to go in to be scolded (5)

Starting to warm to the job? (6)

IACROSS: 9, No mis-take 10, In act-I-on 12, Flat 13, Slip up(rev) 14, Braille

15, Aitch-bone 17, Serenaded 18, Hal-I-but 20, Riddle 21, The-(ha)n(d) 24, Start-led 26, Mark well 28, Over 29, A-V-owed 31, Gone off 34, Cur-tailed 36, Lashed out 38, Asp-halt 39, L-eth-al 40, Fire 41, Talis-man 42, Over T-here.

DOWN: 1, In a flash 2, I'm-part 3, C-all-s out 4, T-E-MP-le 5, Disposed 6, Cat burglar 7, Strains 8, To-I-led 11, Pen-dan-t 16, Ho-bar-t 19, L-it-he 20, Rod

22, Hell-O 23, Twin-(le)g-e 25, Lovely time 26, Mad (rev) 27, To-pcoa-t

30, W-addling 31, Gossamer 32, Fat-ten-ed 33, Ma-LA-ria 35, Rip-saw 36, Lets on 37, Olive-R.