MONSTER CROSS
HOW YOU CAN WIN The theme of this Monstercross is towers, and all the highlighted picture clues refer to this topic. When you’ve filled in the whole puzzle, the letters in the lilac squares, reading left to right and top to bottom, will spell an answer related to the puzzle theme. Write this answer on the entry coupon. ACROSS 1 Sudden brilliant idea (9) 6 Necessary (9)
11 Allots (7)
15 Way in (5)
16 Romantic flings (7) 17 Frequently (3)
18 --- tower, place away from the real world (5) 19 Negating word (3)
20 Take a small drink (3) 21 Cattle (4)
22 Work dough (5) 23 Athletics event (4,4) 24 Ad ---, impromptu (3) 27 Freshwater crayfish (5) 29 Himalayan country (5) 30 Hold fast, grasp (5) 34 Emerge from an egg (5) 36 Good to go (5) 37 Lightbulb units (5)
38 --- Paltrow, actress (7) 39 Inexpensive (5)
40 Always (10)
45 One suffering from sleeplessness (9)
49 Pillar, obelisk (6) 52 Clergyman (8) 54 Reconciliation (9)
56 Extra payment (5) 57 Leaning Tower of ---, lopsided landmark in box A (4) 60 Arctic house (5) 62 What mirrors do (7) 64 Chimes (5) 66 Wild hog (4) 68 17th Greek letter (3)
70 Santa Fe's state in the south-western US (3,6) 72 Dramatic (11) 75 Attorney's fee (8)
76 Brass instrument (8) 81 Ping pong (5,6)
85 Drew ---, Charlie's
Angels star (9)
88 Long fish (3)
89 --- on, encourage (4) 90 Pottery furnaces (5) 91 Ideal instance, perfect example (7) 93 --- Beachley, surfing champion (5)
95 Italian goodbye (4) 99 Tungsten or tin, eg (5) 100 Bargain for, haggle (9)
103 Son of a --- Man, Dusty Springfield song (8) 105 Need to drink (6) 107 Principles, set of values (9)
111 Depict with pictures or drawings (10)
114 Adored (5)
116 Excellent, super (7) 117 Centre of attention (5) 120 Soup spoon (5) 121 Football code (5) 122 Russian rulers (5)
123 Dark heavy brew (5) 125 Set, bundle (5)
130 Donkey (3)
132 Trespassed (8)
135 Evil spell (5)
136 Peel a fruit (4) 137 Congeal (3) 140 --- Tower, lofty Auckland building in box B (3) 141 Exterior (5)
142 College (abbrev) (3) 143 Swindled (7) 145 Chompers (5)
146 --- Bedingfield, pop singer (7) 147 Armpits (9) 148 1995 Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan (9)
DOWN 1 Mid-morning meal (6) 2 Aid in a crime (4) 3 Australia or New Zealand, eg (6) 4 Bottomless gulf (5)
5 --- Longoria, actress (3)
6 --- Tower, Parisian icon
in box C (6)
7 Yarn-spinning rod (7)
8 Overly inquisitive (4)
9 Wryly humorous (6) 10 Locking device (5) 11 French goodbye (5) 12 Messy, careless (6)
13 Men (4)
14 Quick, lively (6) 25 Customer (6)
26 Hot green chilli (8) 28 Glass drink container (6) 30 Food (colloq) (4) 31 Garment insert (6)
32 Wild dog (5)
33 Large snake (6)
34 Head ---, boss (6)
35 Occur (6)
36 Synthetic fabric (5) 40 'Cool' vegetable (8) 41 Soak bread in liquid (3) 42 Fillings material (7) 43 Ballroom dance (5)
44 Yes vote (3)
45 Wedding words (1,2) 46 Aroma, scent (5)
47 Keen on (4)
48 Spider homes (7) 50 Speech impediment (4) 51 Lichen (4)
53 --- Border, cricketer (5) 55 Extreme fear (6)
58 Press clothes (4)
59 Garlic mayonnaise (5) 61 Circular Greek letter (7) 63 Trial (4)
65 --- Lanka, country (3) 67 Give a new look to, refashion (7)
69 Do the ---, preside as host (7)
71 Bert's pal (5)
73 Instinctive (7)
74 Extreme pain (5) 77 Impassive (5)
78 Small island (4) 79 Tangible thing (6) 80 Without a worry (8)
82 NSW coastal town (4) 83 Large deer species (3) 84 Puzzle completely (7) 86 Polite social skills (7) 87 Era, age (5)
92 Private instructor (5) 94 Dismay (5)
96 2.54 cms (4)
97 --- Sharif, actor (4) 98 Ancient Peruvian (4) 101 Tummy muscles (abbrev) (3)
102 --- Wallach, actor (3) 104 Motor vehicle (3) 105 Greater in height (6) 106 --- Tower, structure in box D formerly known as Centrepoint (6) 108 Almost (6) 109 Short story (8) 110 Male bee (5) 112 Hillock, mound (6) 113 Ergo, therefore (5)
115 Jon ---, Angelina Jolie's dad (6) 118 Ottowa's country (6) 119 Observes (4)
124 Vague, ambiguous (7) 125 Nickname for the bell atop the clock tower in box E (3,3) 126 Pause, break (6) 127 Length of time (6) 128 145 Across straighteners (6) 129 Wind current (6) 131 Reaper's tool (6)
133 --- firma, earth (5) 134 Aussie monolith (5) 136 Flower part (5) 138 Yahoo (4)
139 Distant (4) 140 Footwear item (4) 144 Canine (3)