MEGA CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Copied, duplicated 6. Prized shellfish 10. Spilled over 15. Be unsuccessful 18. Demonic 19. Imaginative literature 20. Bell’s chime

22. Wafts, drifts 23. Dissimilar

24. Milky

25. Sphere 26. Country’s entry permits 28. Invalid’s aide 30. Perform slalom 31. Additional 32. Sign-light gas 33. … spumante

34. Spy, secret … 35. Corridor

37. Jam pastry

39. Picnic pest

40. Log vessel

42. Eyelid hair 45. Escorted

48. United … Emirates 49. Imperial length unit 50. Wharves, piers 53. Expected 54. Advertising clip 56. Aquatic birds

59. Small piece, fragment 61. Gender

62. Slow down!

63. Solar energy source 64. Smidgen

65. Gulf War nation 66. Wild beast’s lair 68. Flimsy gift wrapping (6,5) 69. … & don’ts

70. Shop stewards 71. Disinfect, sanitise 72. Money roll 73. Deceptive appearances 74. Young society entrant 76. Garbage can 78. Goaded (5,2) 80. Dagger

81. Female deities 84. Chocolate powder 85. Serious plays 87. Aflame, alight 89. Scolds repeatedly 92. Refusal (5-4) 94. Gambling chances 96. Second self (5,3) 97. Passenger lift

98. Cat cry 100. Harming, hindering 101. Apiece

104. Shrivel, wilt 105. Cricket essential 107. Blunder, faux pas 108. Detour 112. Appalling, terrible 113. Backer, benefactor 115. Sticks (to)

117. US spy group (1,1,1) 118. Very good 120. Sprint, dash 121. Quiet, silent 123. Simpleton, imbecile 125. Fish, Murray … 126. Affiliation

127. Drink brand, … Maria 129. Emend 130. Magnetic resonance imaging (1,1,1) 131. Grandmother 133. Scotland’s famous loch 134. Spider’s trap

136. Once more 137. Droopy

140. Make amends 141. Bovine animal 142. Kidney-shaped nuts 146. CD, compact … 147. Quickly (1,1,1,1) 148. Obliterate, demolish 152. Tibetan cattle 154. Repeat, complete anew 155. Tavern 156. Summit, acme 157. Unchanged (2,2) 159. Alpaca relative 160. Wizard’s rod

162. Cake level 164. Castanet sound 165. Foundation garment 167. Chess pieces

169. Shoe for gliding on ice 171. Race circuit 173. Gleams, glimmers 174. Survey public opinion 175. Annoyances, pet … 177. Abandoned 178. Gorged oneself 179. Meeting schedules 180. Yellow egg part 181. Morning meals

182. … & cents 183. Riding position (4-6)

DOWN

1. Frilled collar

2. Earlier, preceding

3. Tape spool

4. Primp & preen

5. Sand hills

6. Point the finger at

7. Reachable, achievable

8. Duty, requirement

9. Consequence, result

10. Happen, take place

11. Move overseas

12. Most extravagant

13. Inflict

14. Appropriately, accordingly

16. Hawaiian greeting

17. Tags

20. Grinding tool

21. Awry

27. Provoking

29. Cabin crew members (3,9)

35. Corralled, rounded up (livestock) 36. Entice, attract 38. Mexican farewell 41. Norwegian inlet 43. Small vipers

44. Pranks

46. Noble (4-6) 47. Resprays (car) 51. Epitomised, characterised 52. Unwillingness to wait 55. Mongrel dog 56. Scuffled

57. Coral structures 58. Follows covertly 60. Wagon

67. Prodding

69. Figured out, understood 72. Rouse from sleep 75. Coffee seeds 77. Bangles 79. Nonsense talk 82. Assert, announce 83. City’s outer districts 86. Watchful, vigilant 88. Surprised, taken … 90. James Bond film, Diamonds … Forever 91. Cutting tool 92. Ornamental carp 93. Cask, barrel

94. Raw mineral

95. GP

98. Flying rug, … carpet 99. With little consideration 102. Originally (2,5) 103. Actress, … Mirren 104. Jamaica is there (4,6) 106. Demanding boss 108. Admonishment (8-4) 109. Vacant-looking 110. Clumsily, awkwardly 111. Protected wilderness area (8,4)

114. Pass while driving 116. Scarcity, infrequency 119. Resting on bed 122. Indian gown 124. Midge

125. Western movie character 128. Unceasingly, every time 130. Together, en …

132. Pen name, … plume (3,2) 135. Stag 138. Unintentional 139. Large Chinese bamboo-eater (5,5) 141. Small islands, keys 143. Oblique 144. Intercepts (5,3) 145. Confectionery packets 149. Went beyond 150. Trudges 151. Sharpshooter, Annie … 153. Stroll

158. Prompt, incite 161. Climb 163. University compositions 166. Firearm

168. Welts, swellings 170. Assists in a crime 172. Elude

173. Insincere (of speech) 176. Long-coated canine, … terrier

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, AUTHOR