GIANT CROSSWORD

Choose between cryptic and quick clues to tackle the Giant crossword – both lead to the same answers.

QUICK ACROSS

12 Very close (7,2,2)

13 Contrive (6)

14 Kind (6)

16 Clink (4)

17 Usual (9)

18 Blaspheme (5)

19 Send (4)

20 Trio (9)

22 Repeated (5)

23 Right (9)

27 Exact (7)

30 Burrow (6)

31 Greet (4)

32 Loathes (5)

35 Be worried (4)

36 Vehicle (7)

38 Precipitation (4)

39 Approximately (7)

42 Visitor (6)

45 Fragment (5)

46 Here (7)

47 Launched (4)

48 Light (4)

50 Clogged (7)

52 Drive off (5)

54 Teased (6)

56 Courageously (7)

57 Complain (4)

59 Increases (7)

61 Throw (4)

64 Chaplain (5)

66 Measure (4)

67 Quite modern (6)

69 Material (7)

72 Plan (9)

73 Big game (5)

74 Sees (9)

79 Card game (4)

81 Damp (5)

82 Dog (5,4)

83 Enervates (4)

85 Trip (6)

86 Obsession (4,2)

87 Catching (7,4)

DOWN

1 Eat quickly (4)

2 Fee (6)

3 Glancing blows (6)

4 Engaging (7)

5 Unimportant (5)

6 Don Juan (4-6)

7 Month (5)

8 Palls (5,4)

9 Crying (2,5)

10 Halt (4)

11 Maintain (8)

15 Border (6)

21 Animal (5)

24 Fruit (7)

25 Watch (6)

26 Carriage (6)

28 Song (5)

29 Group (3)

33 Rage (7)

34 Mooch (6)

37 Fast (5)

40 Weapon (5)

41 Understand (7)

43 Following (5)

44 Sound (6)

46 Sections (5)

49 Opposite (7)

51 Quite (6)

53 Gratify (6)

55 Peps up (5)

58 Learning (7,3)

60 Dessert (3)

62 Tremor (5)

63 Frank (9)

65 Broadly speaking (3,2,3)

68 On the run (6)

70 Mammal (7)

71 Holds onto (7)

75 Washes (6)

76 Within (6)

77 Bear (5)

78 Plump (5)

80 Attendant (4)

84 Chessman (4)

CRYPTIC

ACROSS

12 From very close, the thing is empty (7,2,2)

13 Contrive to find the sex

and birth date (6)

14 A kind man, rue

turning on (6)

16 Don’t freeze, though

making cooler (4)

17 As usual, the scout

goes off with a girl (9)

18 Caught out, sure to

be abusive (5)

19 Send after (4)

20 Here’s to me beating

the trio! (9)

22 Repeated “I entered

a nag to run” (5)

23 Right at the light, get on (9)

27 Unambiguous about the

spice mixture contained (7)

30 With the man, head back

to find the escape route (6)

31 Sounding well when

you greet (4)

32 He’s caught at and

doesn’t like it at all (5)

35 Be worried it will be

loud to the listener (4)

36 A piece of land or what’s

needed to work it (7)

38 I managed to shelter

from the downpour (4)

39 More or less violently (7)

42 He’s ringing – at

the door? (6)

45 Throw away very little (5)

46 Here to be a donor (7)

47 Delighted by, launched (4)

48 The light reveals a

small jack (4)

50 Didn’t allow to get

clogged (7)

52 Clutching the piano

music, drive off (5)

54 Teased, took the bone to somewhere in the garden (6)

56 By introducing the composer in a daring way (7)

57 Complain about

the bully? (4)

59 Returns carrying the pet cat and makes it worse (5,2)

61 Sling the patient may

leave hospital with (4)

64 The chaplain departed with

a shake of the head (5)

66 Measure the base (4)

67 When renovated, the

interior is quite modern (6)

69 The material she’s

cutting in a frenzy (7)

72 Plan to get a coloured

picture of (9)

73 Having left on, is switching

to the game (5)

74 Sees the record coming back with the service break (9)

79 Say peevishly “Game” (4)

81 “Rather soppy?

Very”, I put in (5)

82 And running in, greet

a wagging dog (4)

83 Spring’s back and

it’s enervating (4)

85 Running away, trip (6)

86 End the conversation with

“That’s my problem” (4-2)

87 Catching being

disparaging about (7,4)

DOWN

1 Scoff when you adopt

security measures (4)

2 A minor fee (6)

3 Hits the ball, making

small marks on (6)

4 Is now bent on taking

me on, or engaging (7)

5 Unimportant to a

youngster (5)

6 Bluebeard was a

Don Juan (4-6)

7 Actor Fredric has

kooky charm (5)

8 Becomes threadbare,

which is tiresome (5,4)

9 Isn’t wrong about – are

moved: crying (2,5)

10 Marijuana’s being raised

by and you arrest (4)

11 Maintain it’s your own

special domain (8)

15 A grim assemblage

north of the border (6)

21 Animal that got the head

start “Rambling Rose” (5)

24 A big variety in fruit (7)

25 Watch somebody

searching for something (6)

26 Ice has made the

vehicle skid (6)

28 Girl who gave

you the air (5)

29 Determined to form

a group (3)

33 Is turning in the father

and son, in a rage (7)

34 Harry the gunman (6)

37 Paid off by the end of

the year? That’s fast (5)

40 Have a stab at

naming him (5)

41 Know about the

seal I set free (7)

43 Are roughly about a

foot behind (5)

44 The brown leaves start to make their autumnal sound (6)

46 Secure backing for

sections of (5)

49 The opposite of “back” (7)

51 A quite unimportant

run-through (6)

53 The excuses you voice

go down well (6)

55 Gives one a lift –

for money (5)

58 Learning, on seeing

to be in bloom (7,3)

60 A good English dessert (3)

62 The tremor does give

one a fright (5)

63 Frank is blue –

conservative (9)

65 Exhausted everybody,

broadly speaking (3,2,3)

68 A white man on the run (6)

70 A monkey, for instance, is very good at, in captivity (7)

71 Keeps twitching at

the reins held (7)

75 Had left half in the tins

one rinses out (6) 76 One dines out, but

not alfresco (6)

77 Bear from the kiosk (5)

78 Plump for an

alcoholic drink (5)

80 Call for a boy in

mediaeval dress (4)

84 It’s hock, little man (4)