CHUNKY CROSSWORD

Sharpen your pencil and show what you know.

ACROSS

1 Drink (8)

6 Dwight ---, former US president (10)

13 Dodge, sidestep (5)

14 Hair elastic (9)

15 As stated above (5)

16 Novice driver signs (1-6)

18 Device used to remove moisture from tresses (9)

19 --- Baba and the Forty Thieves, folk tale (3)

20 Jot down (5)

22 Related to the eye (5)

24 --- de plume, pen-name (3)

26 Home of voodoo (5)

28 --- Blumenthal, celebrity chef (6)

29 Bram ---, Dracula author (6)

31 Small dining room (7)

32 Word that reads the same backwards and forwards (10)

34 Dance interpretation of music (10)

37 Underground prison (7)

38 Left the building (6)

39 Pure, virtuous (6)

41 Glasses (colloq) (5) 42 Eggs (3)

43 --- Republic, Prague’s country (5)

45 Legal (5)

46 Clumsy fool (3) 48 Proposed (9)

51 Remodel (7)

53 Native to Norway (5) 54 --- Wheel, spinning firework (9)

55 Earlier than, before (5) 56 French city (10) 57 Unselfishly giving (8)

DOWN

2 Electronic message (5)

3 Day before (3)

4 Auditor (8)

5 Within ---, in audible range (7)

6 Boredom, lethargy (5)

7 Delight in the suffering of others (13)

8 Impoverished, poor (5)

9 Expression meaning that someone, or something, is truly ancient and has been around for a long time (5,4,3,5)

10 Additional, bonus (5)

11 Communion of travellers (10)

12 Confident, optimistic (8)

17 Female family group who had hits in the 1980s such as Neutron Dance and I’m So Excited (3,7,7)

21 Rudeness (9)

23 Birthday treat (4)

25 Marshy (5)

27 Inherent, essential (9)

30 Moody, sensitive (13)

33 Animated film about a chameleon (5)

35 Beloved (10)

36 Sun blockout cream ingredient (4)

37 Mark down (8)

40 Number considered unlucky (8)

44 Swirling (7)

47 Blacksmith’s fire (5) 49 Fashion label (5)

50 Scaled rows of seating (5) 52 French goodbye (5)

55 For each (3)