The Colossus

ACROSS 1. Castle moat crossing 6. Masculine and feminine 10. TV transmissions 16. Lamb’s father 17. Choose, – for 19. Become threadbare (4,3) 20. Shantytown 21. Hindu teacher 22. Wander leisurely 23. Cons 26. Giant of legend 28. Balanced 30. CDs, compact – 31. Flagon, wine – 33. Tour leader 35. Partake of alcohol 37. Soup tin, eg 38. Flipped around, vice – 39. AV, – visual 41. Smudge 43. California’s – Diego 44. Operates, – machinery 45. Helicopter blade 46. Japanese robes 48. Roman VII 50. Grew old 51. Consumed, was – 52. Pronunciation defect 53. Possessed 55. Resist authority 57. Brine (3,5) 60. Conscripts (5,2) 62. Sprinted 64. Better quality 67. Coloured part of eye 68. German river 69. Curly-horned goat 71. Docile 72. Attached outbuilding (4-2) 74. Is scared of 75. Bathtub grime 77. Equivalent 79. Laden 82. Yuck! 83. Preserves, retains 85. Catch in the act 87. Stitch roughly 89. Non-com (1,1,1) 90. Unopened blooms 91. Slays 92. Circle portion 94. Sketched 96. Garden shack 98. Cowl 99. Carol, Silver – 100. Norwegian inlet 102. Swedish car brand 104. Shrek is one 106. Captivates 107. Epidemics 109. Tethered 111. Injection device 112. Details, – and outs 113. 365 days 114. Skeleton image (1-3) 116. Installed, – a carpet 118. Pilfered 119. Guzzle drink 121. Sow’s mate 123. Philosopher, – Marx 125. Astronaut, – Armstrong 127. Whichever, – of them 128. Pounced, – on 130. Platter 132. Picnic blanket 134. Cambodia’s neighbour 136. Careless 137. Idle chatter 139. Click, – fingers 140. Whisky nip 141. Accelerates, – speed 143. Bid at auction 145. Hairpin 147. Liqueur, – Maria 148. Right away (1,1,1,1) 149. Attic 150. Holy statue 152. Renowned 154. Shout 156. Streetcar 158. Attila’s followers 159. Historical periods 161. Babble 163. Declared 165. Bar accounts 167. Wisecracks 169. Does not indulge in alcohol, is – 171. Curry bread 173. Listening intently (3,4) 175. Enliven 177. More recent, later 179. Crowd brawl 181. Creepy, uncanny 182. Illegally help 183. Book, A – Like Alice 185. Smooth and glossy 187. Carpentry tools 189. Fleck 190. Temperate 191. Facts and figures 192. Yes vote 194. Scrapes, – knee 196. That bloke 197. Entomb, inter 198. Belonging to us 199. Record player needle 202. Scissor-cuts 204. Mosquito barriers 205. Ships’ diaries 206. Eyesight 208. By mouth, – history 210. Casserole-like dishes 212. Baby’s aprons 213. Chivalrous man, a real – (abbrev) 214. Mesmerising 216. Vending-machine aperture 217. Coaches, – team 219. Repair room 221. Cavalry weapon 223. Amount borrowed 225. Rodent 226. Footpath edges 227. Fiji’s capital 230. Poor 232. Gratifies 235. Groups of thugs 236. Black-white mix 238. From the menu, – – carte (1,2) 240. Type of beer 242. Seoul is there, South – 243. Multitude, crowd 244. Fish eggs 245. Provoke, – violence 246. Copper or iron 247. Crooner, – King Cole 248. Cautious 249. Fast water scooter (3,3) 251. Finish in front 253. Connect to the internet (3,2) 255. Nimbly 256. Prison 258. Pilot’s code for Z 259. Escapologist, Harry – 260. Psychic ability (1,1,1) 261. Foot digit 262. Stability 263. Pagan 264. UK temperature scale

DOWN 1. Deluges of rain 2. Greed 3. Fractured 4. Inside, go – 5. American football 6. Strong winds 7. Ostrich-like birds 8. Utter defeat 9. Piece of parsley, eg 11. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed – 12. Upper limbs 13. Lucky amulets 14. Moving crabwise 15. Submit 16. Animal charity (1,1,1,1,1) 18. Ballet skirts 24. Soviet Union (1,1,1,1) 25. Board and counters game 27. Goals, – in life 29. Army commando regiment (1,1,1) 30. Dissuade 31. Hurdles, leaps 32. Martini spirit 34. Roof overhangs 36. Sheep’s bleat 38. Casts ballot 39. Cinema gangway 40. Excited squeal 42. Disprove, – the claims 45. Proportion 46. Pottery ovens 47. Indian dress 49. Himalayan country 51. This planet 52. Dens 54. Sponges lightly 56. Citrus fruit 58. Supplement, – out 59. Plane parts 60. Fellows 61. Pummel 63. Tidy 65. Arrive at 66. Type of poem 68. Staggers 70. Christmas (abbrev) 72. Tossed 73. Brazenness 74. Chops down, – trees 76. Spoils 78. Reflected sound 80. Dead as a – 81. Avoided 83. Highland garments 84. Nickname for alcoholic beverages 86. Rhythm 88. Barrels 91. Doghouses 92. Not quite closed 93. Vital point 95. Long mournful cry 97. Parched 99. Defendant’s bond money 100. Tent opening, eg 101. Kentucky horse race 103. Duck’s bill 105. Poetic name for Ireland 107. Bombard 108. Brazil’s – Paulo 110. Radio knob 113. Nickname for affluent young professionals 115. Enclosures 117. Mythical flying reptiles 118. Extinguish, – out 119. Merrily 120. Characteristic 122. In the countryside, a – area 124. Lolls 126. Nigeria’s principal port 129. Computer key 130. Explosive (1,1,1) 131. Separate, pull – 133. Chasm 135. Occupy chair 137. Precious stone 138. US Portland state 142. Lancelot’s title 144. Dwindle (4,4) 146. Scheme 148. Saunter 149. Hauls with effort 151. Squid 153. Calendar entries 155. Fibber 157. Top credit rating (1,1,1) 158. Mad as a March – 159. Departure 160. Prestige 162. Bellows 164. Speaker’s platform 166. Toboggan 167. Manner of walking 168. Stay 170. Onion relatives 172. Biblical ark builder 174. Greek Cupid 175. Skilfully 176. Bushranger, – Kelly 178. Bridle straps 180. Identical, – brother 182. Voices publicly 184. Stockings fibre 186. Works with wool and needles 188. Refine ore by heat 190. Jumbo cups 191. Brushes, – off 193. European coins 195. Witch’s hex 197. Nods, – head 198. Hog’s grunts 200. Old form of “your” 201. Lucifer 203. Dive down, – on 205. Fluff 206. Doing words 207. Negotiable (1,1,1) 209. Written defamation 211. Plant stem 212. Favouritism 213. Ravine 214. Infirmaries 215. Top of the milk 218. Zone 219. Peter Pan’s friend 220. Atomic scientist, eg 222. Sideways 224. Illuminating gas 226. Tolstoy novel, Anna – 228. Serum 229. Boxing legend, Muhammad – 231. Abominable Snowman 233. Fine horse breed 234. Complete collection 235. 60s pop dance (2-2) 236. Procured 237. Breathe 239. Be present at 241. Scope 243. Dutch city, The – 244. Come back 248. Punctuation mark 250. Church song 252. Pontiff 253. Ancient guitar 254. Sear, singe 257. Fire residue

Solution in next month’s issue.