BRAINBUSTER
NO 853
ACROSS
1 Boring (10) 6 Soap for hair (7) 10 Peas, eg (10) 15 Fielding position in cricket (4) 18 A shrinking agent (7) 19 Predicament (7) 20 Desert in Asia (4) 22 Capital of Cuba (6) 23 Learned (7) 24 Typical (6) 25 For each (3) 26 Varnish base (5) 28 Make someone ashamed (5) 30 Request (3) 31 Nimble (5) 32 List of dishes (4) 33 Seed covering (4) 34 Behind the stern (nautical) (5) 35 Sow (4) 37 Freshwater fish (4) 39 To thrash (3) 40 Middle Eastern country (4) 42 Heads of cereal plants (4) 45 Outcomes (7) 48 Volcano in Sicily (4) 49 Female sheep (4) 50 Catch (7) 53 Large beer cask (3) 55 A lyrical poem (3) 56 Red root vegetables (inf ) (5) 58 Pitched shelters (5) 60 Mockery (5) 62 Originally called (3) 63 Belonging to us (4) 64 As well (3) 65 Vase (3) 66 Acquire (4) 67 Twitch (3) 69 Unappetising (11) 70 . . . a trade (do work) (3) 71 A large group of musicians (9) 72 Account of a story (9) 73 Metal container (3) 74 Hence (9) 75 Spirit distilled from molasses (3) 77 Catch in a trap (7) 79 Frighten (7) 81 Small particles (5) 84 Removes from employment (9) 87 Elitists (5) 88 Convalescent home (10) 90 Position (6) 92 Quarry (4) 93 Criteria (9) 95 Sleeps (4) 97 Salve (8) 98 In a pleasing way (8) 99 Personality (4) 101 The previous day (9) 102 Assert (4) 105 Pushed (6) 106 Make more efficient (10) 108 Impatient (5) 109 Acting rashly (9) 113 Alleviated (5) 114 Indication (7) 116 Forest animal (7) 118 Runner (3) 119 Bring into being (9) 121 Be in debt (3) 122 Exaggerate (9) 124 Secrets (9) 126 Gaseous body in our solar system (3) 127 A person being questioned (11) 128 Make a mistake (3) 130 Just (4) 131 Beer (3) 132 Steal (3) 134 A tune (4) 135 In the past (3) 137 Cove (5) 138 Stories (5) 141 Hang loosely (5) 142 Admiration (3) 143 Gamble (3) 144 Soft white cheese (7) 148 Line of rotation (4) 149 You (archaic) (4) 150 Coped (7) 154 Unwanted email (4) 156 Rosemary, eg (4) 157 Black viscous liquid (3) 158 Expresses (4) 159 Quarrel (4) 161 Pet . . . (irritation) (5) 162 Stride (4) 164 Worshipped object (4) 166 Sans . . . (typeface) (5) 167 Applied Behaviour Analysis (abbr) (3) 169 Drench (5) 171 Travel on two wheels (5) 173 Not on (3) 175 Add value (6) 176 Rave (7) 177 Beer ingredient (6) 179 Russian emperor (4) 180 Pilot (7) 181 Branch of maths (7) 182 Commotion (inf) (2-2) 183 Revolt (10) 184 Bodily cavities (7) 185 Seamstress (10)
DOWN
1 When . . . comes to shove (4) 2 Operate (5) 3 Italian dessert (8) 4 In a roundabout way (8) 5 Narrow pieces of land (5) 6 Calm (6) 7 Gather (10) 8 Penalty (10) 9 Trying experience (6) 10 Country house (5) 11 Sports meet (8) 12 Conduct business (8) 13 Appears (5) 14 Dirty (4) 16 Expire (5) 17 Procession (6) 20 Shredder (6) 21 Portable oven (5) 27 Imitated (12) 29 Extreme happiness (12) 35 Start (3,3) 36 Sea eagle (literary) (4) 38 Advantage (5) 41 The fruit of the oak (5) 43 An immeasurably long time (4) 44 With caution (6) 46 Most loyal (10) 47 Crustaceans, eg (8) 51 Expecting a baby (8) 52 Disorder (10) 54 Discontent (6) 57 Extended journey (4) 58 Dealers (7) 59 Winter and summer, eg (7) 61 Region (4) 68 Accept (7) 70 Framework for a climbing plant (7) 73 Fastener (5) 76 Fogs (5) 78 Entertainment (9) 80 Genuine (9) 82 Card used for fortune telling (5) 83 Head of a town (5) 85 Watch (7) 86 Had the lead role (7) 89 Proportion (5) 91 Deed (5) 93 A pig’s home (3) 94 Secret agent (3) 95 Southern African antelope (5) 96 Call (5) 99 Cuts (5) 100 Public sale (7) 103 Type of rayon (7) 104 V-shaped block of wood (5) 105 Organised (10) 107 Referring to briefly (10) 109 Impossible to enter (12) 110 Method (7) 111 Rubbers (7) 112 Incredibly (12) 115 Erratum (8) 117 (Has) supervised (8) 120 Devastate (6) 123 Playing piece (board game) (4) 125 12 months (4) 126 Steps (6) 129 Stank (6) 131 Seaweeds, eg (5) 133 Mild (weather) (5) 136 Lady’s fingers (veg) (4) 139 Non-voting (10) 140 Characteristics (10) 142 An assistant (4) 145 Weaken (6) 146 Protruding shelf (8) 147 Stage actor (8) 151 Gather (8) 152 Type of circus entertainers (8) 153 Exertion (6) 155 Schemes (5) 160 Not given food (5) 163 Musical dramas (6) 165 Seas (6) 168 Orchestra section (5) 170 Admission (5) 172 Behind bars (5) 174 Group of sheep (5) 175 Decorative case (4) 178 Belonging to you (4)