Everyone’s Crossword

ACROSS 7 Ring the Parisian for a game (6) 8 Hand on the land (4, 6)

10 Support the other inspired teacher (7)

12 Occasion when steps are taken to relieve distress (7, 4) 13 Machine-hand (5)

14 Lawless law? (5)

15 Covering isn’t uniform (5)

16 Jot first nine letters backwards (4)

17 Number over there (5) 19 Degraded having paid a deposit (3, 4)

20 Entering American company order in middle of night (8)

24 Their leader spots rubbish (5) 27 To father last letter’s a gem (5)

28 In defence rule another must be 6 down (8)

29 Swimmer’s lens? (7)

31 Some women do withhold present (5)

33 Pointless-sounding weathercock (4)

34 Samuel Butler initially had a dance (5)

35 To Katharine, Hungarian wine (5)

37 Right behind settee up to now (2, 3)

39 Traitors found behind fourth post? (5, 6)

40 Pull glove out of the bags (7) 41 Pussy did this, get a good reception (2, 4, 4)

42 Queen isn’t commonly fanciful (6) DOWN

1 Record brief is held by District Commissioner (7, 4)

2 Potentially cruel sore (5) 3 Cathy capsized boat (5) 4 Stamp, one mint pair inside (7) 5 Twosome accepted egg from stall (5)

6 Heavenly colour? (3-4)

7 Just what is needed now second person has arrived (4, 3, 3)

9 Tell most of the prelates (6) 11 Poison beef found in can (5) 12 Study well-worn — sorry (8) 15 Intended yours truly to take on a worker (5)

18 Man gave member the drug (4)

21 Sinner reported Scotsman having spice (8)

22 How to examine tunnel in detail? (2, 7, 2)

23 Something it is not hard to miss (4, 6)

25 Then Nancy used some makeup (5) 26 Jack with duo performing self-defence (4)

29 Flickering flare has gone wild (5)

30 Trimming coupling I leave (6) 31 Movement towards the sea (7)

32 Flexible like a tree? (7) 36 Skinhead with hood had bad-tempered look (5)

37 Gone off fish (5)

38 Shiny way to improve (3, 2)