BRAINBUSTER

NO 743

ACROSS

1 Good luck! (5,1,3) 5 Sparkling (13) 12 Exchange (4) 16 Beers (4) 19 Wetter and mushier (7) 20 Soap for hair (7) 21 Grotto (4) 23 Re: the ocean (6) 24 Substance (7) 25 Type of flower (6) 26 Type of grain (3) 27 Relating to people (5) 29 Go in (5) 31 Conger (3) 32 Black (literary) (5) 33 Secures in a fixed

opinion (4) 34 Skin condition (4) 35 Doubly (5) 36 Cream of the crop (4) 38 Spring (4) 40 . . . for (select) (3) 41 Instance (4) 43 Pierce (4) 46 Kneecap (7) 49 Dilapidation (4) 50 Worthless outer

covering (4) 51 Mine car (7) 54 A play on words (3) 55 Meat (5) 57 Remove quickly (5) 60 Javelin (5) 62 Islamic religious

festival (short) (3) 63 Vast (4) 64 Female deer (3) 65 Stop (3) 66 Anger (4) 67 Stain (3) 69 Completely forbidden

(2,2,7) 70 Transgression (3) 71 Vitamins, eg (9) 72 Nonsense talk (9) 73 Set of tools, eg (3) 74 Unrefined (9) 75 Ode on a Grecian . . . (3) 77 A herb (7) 79 Stockpiled (7) 81 Agathosma betulina (5) 82 Instinctively (9) 85 Petite (5) 86 Emblem (6) 88 Forced open (6) 90 Resting places (4) 93 Phone book, eg (9) 95 Charge (4) 97 . . . and cheese (dish) (8) 98 Grace (8) 99 Manager (4) 101 Workforce (9) 104 A gemstone (4) 107 Re: the universe (6) 108 Flattens (6) 110 In . . . (incomplete) (5) 111 Self-assured (9) 115 Accepted or habitual

practice (5) 116 Atomic (7) 118 Perceives (7) 120 Catch the . . .

(sunburnt) (3) 121 Caffeine, eg (9) 123 Cinders (3) 124 Interchange (9) 126 Skilled storyteller (9) 128 Yaris or Mini, eg (3) 129 Translator (11) 130 Drops on a cool

surface (3) 132 Traditional medicine

(SA) (4) 133 A spherical green

seed (3) 134 Seed (3) 136 Style and vigour (Fr) (4) 137 Paintings (3) 139 Knot on a tree (5) 140 Drift (5) 143 Showery (5) 144 Partially opened

flower (3) 145 Extract (7) 149 Rodents (4) 150 Burg (4) 151 Disrobe (7) 155 Retain (printing

term) (4) 157 Length by width

(rectangle) (4) 158 In the past (3) 159 All . . . being equal (4) 160 A small island (4) 162 Cords (5) 163 Blemish (4) 165 Expert (4) 167 An assumed fact (5) 168 Light afternoon meal

(UK) (3) 170 Japanese verse with 17

syllables (5) 172 A pleasant smell (5) 174 Opening (3) 176 Defame (6) 177 Skin swelling (7) 178 Staggered (6) 180 Entity of a whole (4) 181 Designed for a

particular purpose (7) 182 Test (7) 183 Travel in a vehicle (4) 184 Happily . . . after (4) 185 Amazingly (13) 186 Time limits (9)

DOWN

1 Ray of light (4) 2 Each (5) 3 Gather (8) 4 Yellowish white

colour (8) 5 Tranquil (6) 6 Detached (10) 7 Able to read minds (10) 8 Hear (6) 9 Adjust (5) 10 International dealer (8) 11 Friendliness (8) 13 Large sea mammal (5) 14 Petition (4) 15 Hard (4) 17 Big (5) 18 Afternoon nap (6) 21 Gruyère, eg (6) 22 Country house (5) 28 Trepidation (12) 30 Between the head and

body (4) 36 Jostled (6) 37 Turn (4) 39 Alleviated (5) 42 Be upright (5) 44 Part of a wheel (4) 45 Load (6) 47 Turbulent (10) 48 Realistic (8) 52 Raised (8) 53 Tedious (4-6) 56 Grime (4) 57 Undertaking (7) 58 Aunt’s husband (5) 59 Smarty-pants (4-3) 60 Drawn-out (7) 61 Against (prefix) (4) 68 Tempted (7) 70 To mix up cards (7) 73 Sosatie (5) 76 Childminder (5) 78 Express regret (9) 80 Accord (9) 83 Consume (3) 84 Small social insect (3) 87 Ditches (5) 89 Spike (5) 91 The conscious (3) 92 Text message (abbr) (3) 93 Expire (3) 94 Affirmative (3) 95 Low earth orbit

(abbr) (3) 96 By way of (3) 99 Printed accounts (5) 100 Conference (7) 102 Deception (3) 103 Nevertheless (3) 105 Poster (7) 106 Exploit (5) 107 Builds (10) 109 Nourishment (10) 111 English Premier League

soccer club (7) 112 Tarantulas, eg (7) 113 Figurative language (7) 114 Businessman (12) 117 Knitted sweater with

buttons (8) 119 Transported (8) 122 Not lower (5) 125 Layer (4) 127 Opera solo (4) 128 Demands (6) 131 Walk like a duck (6) 133 Lighter (5) 135 Religious (5) 138 Refers to the person

addressed (poetic) (4) 141 Dramatic (10) 142 In total (10) 144 Deep-voiced choir

member (4) 146 Narrow channel (6) 147 Expenditures (8) 148 Fine, soft wool (8) 149 Conceal (4) 152 Pessimistic (8) 153 Clergyman (8) 154 Vocalist (6) 156 Person of great

strength (5) 161 Ran with a bounding

stride (5) 164 In the . . . eye (known) (6) 166 Seldom (6) 169 The best (5) 171 Fool (5) 173 Elliptical (4) 175 Arrange (5) 176 Silent (4) 179 Lairs (4)