Giant Crossword

Across

9 Attacking - or trying to (6,1,2) 10 Bar with a thick inverted top and fragile bottom (8) 12 Tow back and charge (4) 13 Bleach the article in question (6) 14 The drunker the meaner (7) 15 The fruit file? (9) 17 Open here with a song (4,5) 18 Shed one saw the two novices hiding in (7) 20 Is successful (in establishing a friendly relationship?) (4,2) 21 On which a caged bird would long to be? (4) 24 Heads towards, which helps to bring about (5,3) 26 Escort across to assume control (4,4) 28 Grass that upsets ruminants (4) 29 An irritable “That’s how old port should look” (6) 31 Just say “Here’s how”, in French (7) 34 Either locked up or executed (9) 36 Unwanted, enters for the strong man competition? (7,2) 38 A bookcase (7) 39 Point out the moral, as usual (6) 40 Caught right in the trap, don’t look at all despondent (4) 41 Shielding the son one thinks the world of from adversities (8) 42 The repast I prepare myself in my leisure hours (5,4)

Down

1 For inner mechanisms, a full treatment (3,5) 2 Avoids, when skirting the green (6) 3 Had made the grade, one understood (8) 4 Line up your deserving (6) 5 Refuse to cede and it’s beer all round (5,3) 6 Out of danger, if the telephone is incapable of receiving calls (3,3,4) 7 Fire off the gun in the boat (7) 8 ‘Not Much Left’: a strange title (6) 11 Tidied up, as told to (7) 16 Shut up and made oneself scarce (6) 19 Fancy embracing in the picture! (5) 20 The fish, kid, will be rising! (3) 22 I remained when the maid left her (5) 23 At class, a pupil will be on best behaviour (6) 25 An excellent start to the course (5-5) 26 See if you can irritate (3) 27 Give one the creeps wandering round, to be exact (7) 30 See us running the man in - a foreigner (8) 31 Actors off from ‘Robinson Crusoe’? (8) 32 Occupied in making a neat repair to a bad dent (8) 33 Someone disembarking from the craft (7) 35 In substance, that’s what’s wrong (6) 36 Sam’s out hiding the gold in the marsh (6) 37 Rick will do everything possible (6)