Puzzles

Win cash prizes

ACROSS

1. Tarragon or dill, eg 4. Dull sound of impact 7. Pose questions 9. Song, River… Mountainhigh 13. Indistinct moving object 16. Russian tennis ace, … Sharapova 17. Person who elects 19. Oscar-winning US actor, … Washington 20. Platinum or gold, eg (8,5) 25. Lampoon (4,2) 26. Entices 27. Joins forces 28. Variety of birch 30. French pork and bean stew 31. Fatigues 34. Surrendered 35. Healing plant, aloe … 36. Leave out, exclude 37. Arctic area, … Pole 39. Thin cushion 41. Fairground ride, dodgem … 44. Very beautiful 46. Sheep mothers 48. Household animals 49. Infrequent, irregular 52. Unlock, … the door 53. Ocean movement 54. Talking points 58. Comprehend, perceive 59. Scoundrels 62. Solar power source 63. Temporary slip 65. Detest, loathe 67. Indisposed 68. Fails an exam 69. Adult male voice 71. Heel ligament, Achilles’ … 73. “Laughing” African scavengers 74. Character 76. Grounded electrically 77. Serious, solemn 78. High-pitched 80. Abdominal crunches, eg (3-3) 82. Self-centredness 84. Alleviated, relieved 85. Toil, work hard 87. Cured pork 88. Be better than 90. Map book 91. Winning tennis serve 93. Movie, What’s… Gilbertgrape? 96. From Santiago, eg 97. Warning, ultimatium 100. Beatles hit, The…and Windingroad 102. Brand with a hot iron 104. US crime writer, … Cornwell 106. Takes to court 108. Ancestry chart, family … 111. Former Packedtothe

Rafters star, Hugh … 112. Tea-making vessel 114. Make a blunder 115. Scrabble pieces, eg 118. Shift direction 119. Distant, from … 120. Evil spirit 122. Move crabwise 124. Trade bans 125. US actress, … Sarandon 127. Counting device 129. Cricket team number 132. Ketchup, … sauce 133. Legal phrase meaning “with regard to” (2,3,6,2) 136. Plan, blueprint 137. Drew to a close

138. Starwars director, George … 139. Sudden rush of wind 140. Type, kind 141. Cereal grass 142. Account, invoice 143. Sweet fruit preserves

DOWN

1. Game, … and Seek 2. Actor-turned-us President, … Reagan 3. More ashen 4. Steady drinkers 5. Adult male deer 6. Bugs Bunny saying, What’s up …? 8. Seal, close (4,3) 9. Artificial colour 10. Morgan Freeman movie, … Almighty 11. Insurance contracts 12. Turn back to zero, … the dial 14. Climbing device 15. Strong cord 16. Dispensed, ... out punishment, eg 18. Pine gum 21. Run away, flee 22. Interior surface 23. Spite, ill-will 24. Private teachers 28. Greek fable writer 29. Sees fit, … to 32. Twirl, turn round 33. Boringly prim and proper 38. Soybean curd 40. Well informed, knowledgeable 42. On a ship (2,3) 43. Chinese city, … Kong 44. Deities 45. Extra support for a structure 47. Circles, squares, etc 48. Jail 50. Fell apart 51. Battery compartment, eg 55. Made an effort to find (6,3) 56. Large antelope 57. Cummerbund 59. Learned through repetition, by … 60. Crude mineral 61. Faint sound 64. Spread messily 66. Posy 69. Four-legged furniture item 70. Quick, speedy 72. Zodiac lion 75. Pig enclosure 78. Overly confident 79. Speech start, … and gentlemen 80. Choose carefully 81. Venetian blind strip 83. Male offspring 86. Very fair-haired, … blonde 87. Assist 89. Come about, take place 90. Wrath, fury 92. Deserve, merit 94. Consented 95. Marilyn Monroe movie, Thesevenyear… 98. Cotton holder 99. Theatrical whispers 101. Desert waterhole 103. Dynasty producer, … Spelling 105. Firms, advertising …, eg 106. Most certain 107. Make possible 109. Uprising 110. Pencil rubber 111. Embarrassing 113. Berlin is there 116. Acid or alkali test paper 117. Grey-rock roof tile 120. Hills of sand 121. Yacht harbour 123. Heavy black wood 125. Type of car, … or hatchback, eg 126. Antlered animal 128. Unfasten 130. Lie lazily about 131. Colony insects 134. Item of headgear 135. Tidal shifts, … and flow