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)

DOWN