SUNDAY CROSSWORD — 954

ACROSS :

2 A light medium-dry sherry (11)

7 Trunk of a young fir tree (5)

8 Forbidden (5)

9 Got one's own back (colloq) (7)

13 Associated on very friendly terms (9)

15 Speak; utter (9)

18 Approaches (5)

20 Pertaining to curved courses of planets (7)

21 Custom; practice (5)

22 Combine with water (7)

25 Scheduled in sequence, informally speaking? (7)

27 Seats for monarchs (7)

28 Ancient language (5)

32 Staircase post (5)

35 Planned, plotted or colluded (7)

40 American state (7)

41 Deer horns (7)

42 Former Force India driver (5)

43 Reassemble (7)

44 Parasite (5)

45 Pull the shutters for the day? (5,4)

49 Drooled (9)

53 In the correct manner? (7)

54 ___ forth : begin or start a journey? (5)

55 Vegetables similar to onions (5)

56 Went faster or speeded up (11)

DOWN:

1 Sandwich content (4)

2 Jason’s vessel (4)

3 Part of a church - "Evan" changed? (4)

4 Right to hold another's property till debt is paid (4)

5 Ear-related (4)

6 Under ___ : in the way? (4)

9 Belly (7)

10 Things fit to eat (7)

11 Affectedly polite? (7)

12 Least bright? (7)

13 Largest of Japan's four main islands (6)

14 Peace Nobelist of ‘71 (6)

16 Modifies (6)

17 Puts right (6)

19 Joust (4)

21 Atop or over (4)

23 Greek letter (3)

24 Tribal symbol (5)

26 Compare (5)

29 Come together (3)

30 Astronomical distance of 3.26 light years (6)

31 Ink-drawing on skin (6)

32 Fight tooth and ___ : fight hard and till the end? (4)

33 A soldier in the days gone by (7)

34 Making a forceful forward move (7)

35 Unique performer (7)

36 In a joyous manner; gleefully (7)

37 Tel ser. provider in New Delhi and Mumbai (4)

38 Subtract (6)

39 Move upwards (6)

46 Oddball; an eccentric person (4)

47 Ms Deol or Ms Gupta of Bollywood (4)

48 ____ and dine : have a luxurious meal, should we say? (4)

50 "M*A*S*H" star (4)

51 South African plains (4)

52 More than one North American deer (4)