THE BIG CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Humourist 4 Parked under shelter 8 Intrigue 11 Joyful 12 Leather suitcase 14 Capacity unit 16 Persevere 17 Robert’s nickname 18 Lays to rest 19 Type of cat 21 Tufted spiny grass 23 Follow 27 Black leopard 28 Meagre 30 Water bird 31 Owns 32 Tailless feline; — cat 33 Dessert (coll) 34 Glass 37 Absolute truth (coll) 38 Cultured (4-4) 40 Violinist 43 Competitor 45 Charged particle 46 Excuse (3,3) 48 Fellows 50 Fitting 51 Republic in W Asia 52 Acquires 53 Falls silent (5,2) 54 Assume
DOWN
1 Running shoes 2 Massage 3 Do up 4 Insolence 5 Any bird of prey 6 Blood 7 Tone down 8 Interpret 9 Freshwater fish 10 Part of a PA system 13 Balls 15 Wild goat 19 Change into stone 20 Stalemate 22 Period in cricket 24 Sordidness 25 Escorted (to a seat) 26 Speak haltingly 27 Red many-seeded fruit 29 Rail coach 35 Ductile 36 Charitable 38 Exited 39 Protection 40 Of iron 41 Eating plan 42 Recluses 44 Excessive (prefix) 47 Kept 48 Festival 49 Lose one’s foothold