THIS WEEK’S BIG CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Grape-based salad dressing, … vinegar

5. Numbered musical work

8. Espresso or cappuccino, eg

11. Orange Chinese fruit

16. Bird of prey’s claw

17. Book series, Little House On The …

19. Star of Destry Rides Again, … Dietrich

20. Unconventional and slightly shocking

21. Revise text for publication

22. Track for spare trains

23. Companion or chaperone

25. Swerved out of control, … down the mountain

27. Speaks croakily

30. Looking at Earth’s structure, … study

31. Tel Aviv’s country

32. Section of the brain

33. Diets, eating …

37. Sadly inadequate, a … attempt

41. Stone-sculpting tools

42. With determination

44. Sign of the future

45. Functions, purposes

46. Price, charge

47. Electrical units

48. Encouraged, … on

50. Fiasco, disaster

51. Most junior

54. Dirt Music author, … Winton

56. Writing tool

57. Chinese desert

59. Cowboy’s boot goad

61. Scatters, … widely

63. Cut off, isolated

66. NZ’S nickname, Land Of The … White Cloud

68. Petty quarrel, tiff

69. Small floppy-eared hounds

70. Sets of clothing, winter …

73. Washable floor covering

75. Dance movement

76. Feminine possessive pronoun

78. In good physical condition

79. Take out cash, … money

80. Burlap

82. Royal racecourse

84. Corrosive liquid

85. Auction website

87. Sushi roll seaweed

89. Change direction quickly

91. Horned African animal

94. Person providing food for a party

96. Members of the upper house of federal parliament

99. Chemically curled hairstyles

101. Full-length, … skirt

102. Couch, sofa

103. Features

106. Roman mansion

108. Putting up with, … their chatter

110. Within the confines of, … the circle

111. Develop, be revealed

112. Change direction, … left, eg

115. Small freshwater crayfish

116. Chemical term for alcohol

117. Austere, a … existence

118. Jewish spiritual teacher

119. Called for, the dish … more salt

120. Balance out, … their losses

121. Takes an exam, eg

122. Designs a different way

DOWN

1. Song, Build Me Up …

2. Lounging around

3. Columnist-counsellor, agony …

4. Holding captive, … the detainees

6. Chunks of text

7. Parts of plays

8. Newspaper funnies

9. Citadel

10. Watched closely

12. Endangered atmosphere layer

13. Ill-founded, … proposition

14. Latest crazes

15. Harem

18. Swedish actress, … Vikander

24. Backbone

26. Native American religious pole

28. Joined in partnership, … nations

29. Star of Destry Rides Again, … Stewart

32. Degree of sound, volume

34. Estimate the value of

35. Squalid political goings-on

36. Pearl shellfish

38. Top of the sleeve

39. Entertaining guests, … a party

40. Pours with rain, … down

41. Food chewed repeatedly by cows

42. Sturgeon’s eggs, eg

43. Affliction of the eyelid

46. Most near, … town

49. Spookier, creepier

52. Red skinned weepy vegie, Spanish …

53. Israeli port city

55. Stanley Kubrick movie, 2001: A Space …

56. Religious verses

58. Brag, crow

60. Turkish official

62. Tavern, inn

64. Cocky newcomer

65. Artist’s studio

67. Dame Edna’s favourite flowers

69. Watch out, warning!

71. Unfortunate event

72. More gaunt

74. On numerous occasions

77. Large water jug

80. Movie, The Eagle … Landed

81. According to routine

82. Bach melody, … On A G String

83. Topple, capsize

86. Voting station, polling …

88. Dining establishment

90. The blue planet

92. Too quiet to hear

93. Baking concentrates, flavouring …

95. Only just warm

97. Skyhooks song, I’m Living In The …

98. Small triangular flags

100. Earnings left over after expenses

104. Short stalks left after grain harvest

105. From Nairobi, eg

106. Very shy person, shrinking …

107. Rents out

109. Sound the same, the words …

113. Professional cook

114. Group of three

When you’ve solved the crossword, the letters on the shaded squares, reading left to right, top to bottom, spell a mystery word or phrase.