GIANT CROSSWORD

Test your brain power with our seasonal puzzle

ACROSS

1. They deliver Christmas cards - most, possibly, written in biro? (7) 15. Happening during quiet day for sending 125 Ac? (7) 19. Some brooch, reddish yellow colour (5) 20. A 75 Dn dispersing cold air? (7) 21. Mode of expression making one obscure about love (5) 23. Beetle moving as crab (6) 24. Doctor, a master, producing stage play (5) 25. A profit once more (5) 26. Back in disguise, I’ll avoid confederates (6) 28. Look for member of Indian sect, we hear (4) 29. Rope, look, round donkey (5) 30. A Christmas Carol character acquiring colour around story’s ending, I am! (4,3) 31. Upper atmosphere occupied by dulcet herald-angels (5) 32. Early-rising bird left Noah’s vessel (4) 33. River of a city (Newcastle) (4) 34. Proper sound of religious ceremony (5) 35. Note: it’s a palindrome (5) 36. What melts Inspector Morse actor? (4) 37. International rugby match try (4) 38. Someone all nippers thank annually, to begin with (5) 41. Timid throw (3) 43. Fruit, very soft, in beer (5) 46. Downfall of one in race (4) 47. They celebrate Hogmanay - cost’s staggering! (5) 53. One transaction is perfect (5) 55. Has snow changed? (4) 58. Ice box? (4) 59. Joyous news, such as merrily lit gangs did bring (4,7) 60. In chlorine one’s found a gaseous element (4) 61. Group of cattle detected by ear, it’s rumoured (4) 63. Noble lady in pantomime made foolish? (4) 64. Fresh start for Toad, an amphibian (4) 65. Go over broken furrow (6) 66. Close to night? Not quite (4) 67. Game beginning in Sydney harbour (5) 68. A paper one’s linked with a decorative purpose (5) 69. Trapped by ice, deer give up (4) 70. European Community has place for hiding cream cake! (6) 71. Right behind a floating mass of logs (4) 76. Russian ruler’s wily arts (4) 78. Cleaner fish? (4) 80. Bird in pear-tree snare around line of rooftop (9) 83. American tug (4) 86. Prepared with regard to fantastic day (5) 87. Rascal reported in part of church (4) 88. What’s exchanged under mistletoe for faulty skis? (4) 89. Porcelain variety of 68 Ac (5) 91. Fruit to be after duck? (5) 93. Brazilian city, to you and me, is rowdy (7) 97. Bird injured no rib (5) 98. I dream about a fortified wine (7) 99. Its maker puts it on last (4) 101. Select a tool (4) 103. Festoon Judy from The Wizard of Oz (7) 104. Hair colouring kept in kitchen - naturally? (5) 108. Portents of love men start to see (5) 110. Steal the Spanish coin (6) 112. Guide prophet round front of temple (5) 113. Turning out holy, a perfect place (6) 115. State request in a note (6) 118. Bit of a shindig looming for the White House! (5) 120. Entertain Sue wildly after morning (5) 121. Are unfinished quarrels producing weapons? (6) 123. Excellent fireplace, we’re told (5) 124. Part of Rudolph I nicknamed bottlenose? (7) 125. Birds a-swimming, pale on board (5) 126. Breakwater on grey rocks (6) 128. Quote about a hat (5) 129. Crackers, for example, best broken around middle of carousing (5) 130. Boy, accepting honour, brought forth young sheep (6) 132. Location surrounding a royal residence (6) 134. Sleet changed to something harder! (5) 135. Attempt a portion of beef for tea (6) 138. Quiet part, vocally (5) 142. Odd spare fruit (5) 145. Idolise fabulously lacy table-mats (7) 146. Formerly in concert (4) 147. Student’s odd letters giving ingredient for 184 Ac? (4) 149. Only frozen water? That’s right (7) 150. First of visitors in Christmas story (5) 151. Fresh scheme for racy mind, right away active (7) 153. Float about on high (5) 154. Former lot returning to praise (5) 155. It’s brought by 1 Ac - in armour! (4) 156. Heroic, as in De Mille pictures? (4) 158. Five, in Scottish dance, have a good time (5) 159. Henry left large room (4) 162. Merriment’s loud - it set Ivy dancing (9) 166. Different when chopped (4) 168. Its bark is silent (4) 170. Quick - no time to eat! (4) 172. Wrong spelling for Easter puzzle (6) 173. Throwing out zeal, be idle (4) 174. Conifer in front of street opening (5) 175. Composition by first and last of Evangelists, say (5) 176. The Magi, perhaps, that resided in Orient initially (4) 177. Involve Territorial Army in line’s retreat (6) 178. Region that’s central to Near East (4) 180. Wander about the Eternal City, we hear (4) 181. Girl in Cinderella’s slipper (4) 183. Father holds up chrysalis (4) 184. Making a choice about possibly dud Christmas fare? (4,7) 185. First man in the race? (4) 186. Listen to leaders of heavenly ensemble expressing devotion (4) 189. Book of maps by a retired sailor (5) 191. Author whose works were fabulous! (5) 193. Wharf that’s essential, it’s said (4) 194. Comic party (5) 199. Implement for cleaning a thick mass of hair? (3) 203. Holy song from little Sarah in the afternoon (5) 205. Clown’s dessert? (4) 206. November shortly followed by a bright star (4) 208. Play character more crazy about love? (5) 209. Female member of newlyformed union (5) 210. Partially rewrite marvellous article (4) 212. Some feel slippery! (4) 214. Fabric of New York and half London (5) 215. Objections about weight of Cinderella’s admirer? (7) 216. Mounted, shaking reins (5) 217. Eagerly expectant, starts to anticipate great opulent gifts (4) 218. Code he inaccurately repeated (6) 219. Bad idea, upper-class ‘Toodle-oo!’ (5) 220. Found in Jericho, as I suspected, a fertile spot (5) 221. Half a quarter day for maids a-milking? (6) 222. Open manipulation of voter (5) 223. Relish embracing one Redeemer (7) 224. Mass of water buffeting canoe (5) 225. Learn afresh about New Testament - it’s illuminating (7) 226. Mother’s moved the flask (7)

DOWN

2. Rum cask? 38 Ac carries one! (4) 3. In summer, Ryde is cheerful (5) 4. Not without blessing, sing out - most impressive (7) 5. Selected duck among a hundred frantic hens (6) 6. Dispose of a red hat (6) 7. William’s house colour? (6) 8. Crazy feline invading pigpen (6) 9. Faces north in nasty frost (6) 10. How it feels in December to triumph with effort (6) 11. Damp and sticky - like a shellfish? (6) 12. Instructs retinues (6) 13. Place to see a film about iceman (6) 14. Clergyman in pub is hopeful (6) 15. Stung well-dressed editor (7) 16. Villain not in a country house (5) 17. Christmas Lone Ranger? (4) 18. Rice dish served up to trios (7) 22. Roused to alertness, end weak vacillating (7) 23. Time of the main boy-child (6) 27. USA let out military gesture (6) 39. Upward movement of a fragrance (6) 40. Got bag on wobbly sledge (8) 42. Greeting what may come from above? (4) 44. Gifts, roughly ten, wrapped with newspapers (8) 45. Songbird allowed round tavern (6) 48. Police and Queen having a 75 Dn (5) 49. Revolutionary students make a mistake (4,2) 50. Worshipper roared in excitement (6) 51. Nutty dish we desired (6) 52. Spark off trouble I get in (6) 54. Change communion table, we’re told (5) 56. Value of Matthew or Thessalonians (5) 57. Scrub and search thoroughly (5) 61. Ivy’s partner? Carol says so (5) 62. Drops from heaven, it’s announced, to be a king (5) 72. Boy in commercial in pantomime role (7) 73. Father Christmas’s helpers themselves? Not half! (5) 74. Worry rising during winter freeze (4) 75. Thirst-quencher beginning to dissolve icy surface? (5) 77. A Liberal, a graduate and a finder of treasure (3,4) 78. Material worn by large number in church (5) 79. Life-form from outer space? An enthralling falsehood (5) 81. Strangely eager to concur (5) 82. Sudden intakes of breath, as required among doctors (5) 84. Stroll taken by meandering Mabel (5) 85. Cambridge college rulers? (5) 86. Comment concerning gospel author (6) 90. Passion is not so easy, we ‘ear (6) 92. Long journey ends in fulfilment for wise folk (4) 94 & 95. ‘Let Them Follow To Be Thine’, newly composed carol (1,6,4,2,9) 96. The ring of holiness? (4) 100. I’m a rugby club member and pantomime performer... (9) 102 . ... whose sweetheart’s reorganised club o’ mine! (9) 105. Increase general roistering (7) 106. Shiny stuff for decoration ending in bag with rubbish? (7) 107. Visitor, it’s rumoured, took a shot in the dark (7) 109. A time for resolution? (3,4) 111. Vicar, old-fashioned, cherishes festive hymn (5) 114. Move camera across to Christmas show, shortly (5) 116. Scottish island, they say, is heaven (3) 117. One turns up among the cards (3) 119. Conclusion of canto of French poem (3) 120. Tan unruly soldier, perhaps (3) 121. Everyone joining in seasonal laughter (3) 122. Odd spirit (3) 127. Irritation caused by what drops from a Christmas tree? (6) 131. Plead for a quiet ringing of bells (6) 132. Rope artist (7) 133. Mostly amend prayer’s ending (4) 136. Number of calling birds in favour, by the sound of it (4) 137. Forty were thwarted by 77 Dn, this coming about the night before (7) 138. A 75 Dn suitable for Boxing Day? (5) 139. Feature of veteran village smith’s equipment (5) 140. Went ahead and put up, e.g., a shelf (5) 141. Coast around a racecourse (5) 143. Stirred, all right, in wonderment (5) 144. Stain spoiling silky fabric (5) 146. On and on about one sage’s associate? (5) 148. Sailor embraces physical education to become slimmer (5) 152. Eager David losing his head (4) 155. Arm moving with vigour over an almond paste for covering cakes (8) 157. Had races, puzzles, and a parlour game (8) 160. Shuffled near a scene of conflict (5) 161. Leans over tables? (5) 162. Fly about the atmosphere in a proper manner (6) 163. Opening word of 77 Dn (6) 164. Within the team that’s batting? (6) 165. Longs for stories around daytime’s close (6) 166. Devise a scheme for a wall-opening (5) 167. Snowy, with storms over the east (5) 168. Characteristic air possibly maintained by teetotaller (5) 169. Go by, please, another way (6) 170. Class Pacino methodical? (6) 171. Speed of music, top in arrangement, uplifted me inwardly (5) 179. Loud, animated board game (4) 181. Cherry brandy, for example, consumed in oblique urbanity (7) 182. Firmly fixed Nativity setting (6) 187. One hug, perhaps, is sufficient (6) 188. Joy in extremes of divine brightness (7) 190. A group covering desert (7) 192. One among ten men, terribly distinguished (7) 195. As zest is raised in the land of Nod (6) 196. Are not crackers elaborate? (6) 197. Corrupt, impure arbitrator (6) 198. Burt, so unusually strong (6) 199. Reason for annual vehicle test I have (6) 200. Quietly shoot extraordinary pictures (6) 201. Take in cabs or buses, part of the way (6) 202. Can endlessly sell sparkling Christmas decoration (6) 203. Human being of the south taken in by Evita? (6) 204. From Christians we require a response (6) 207. Gas found between the N and P zones? (5) 211. Uncontrolled glee about a bird (5) 213. Examine content of Christmas candles (4) 217. Starts on appetising turkey - overeating, maybe, a tiny bit! (4)