THE GIANT CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

12 Not X rated. That’s obvious (3,3,2,3) 13 It’s black mark to get sozzled (6) 14 Are mad with the child — with justification (6) 16 Flash a smile (4) 17 Disregards as I’d got awfully upset about (4,5) 18 She returns by air the morning after (5) 19 Takes action — and cheats (4) 20 For drunk, see to be difficult situation (5,4) 22 Dubious description of mermaid (5) 23 Funds the teller isn’t given? (4,5) 27 Cast aside after I’d shuffled cards casually (7) 30 Each is given a quota (6) 31 Female? It’s a boy, young (4) 32 Thick, need to be tidied to let the sun in (5) 35 A cat scrap (4) 36 Be inclined to feel sick in the final part (4,3) 38 Wedged inside, move cautiously (4) 39 Turn to account, having hotel provide vegetarian food (7) 42 Refuses to move from accommodation not fit for humans (6) 45 She’s the ‘31’ I am going out with (5) 46 Reunite, merging with the followers (7) 47 Tease about a golf shot? (4) 48 Thumb through ‘Food for Herbivores’ (4) 50 So I hammer in nail clumsily, making contact (7) 52 The boy is safe (5) 54 Having let off inside, had been arrested (6) 56 Go back in the car, terrified (7) 57 Raise money on a piece of ivory? (4) 59 Bypasses by which many routes are changed (7) 61 Will it help clean up TV entertainment? (4) 64 Point to the crest and say (5) 66 It keeps our strands neat and tidy (4) 67 Flushes with drink, returned to kill (6) 69 Caught, guarantee there will be condemnation (7) 72 Aristocratic winner of art competition? (3,6) 73 Cut to an English marsh bird (5) 74 Acquire an index that’s easily available (3-2-4) 79 Will not, in short, delete apostrophe, as is custom (4) 81 ‘Yard Man,’ I love (5) 82 A lot, unruly, have broken homes. Most unpleasant (9) 83 Spot turning round, creating a commotion (2-2) 85 Pretends the fifty note’s forged (4,2) 86 Left work (6) 87 Have a run-in with someone when you queue? (3,4,1,3)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS 12 In full view (3,3,2,3) 13 Very drunk (6) 14 Cause (6) 16 Ray (4) 17 Saves (4,5) 18 ‘___ Callas’ (5) 19 Female deer (4) 20 Predicament (5,4) 22 Dubious (5) 23 Silencing bribe (4,5) 27 Cast aside (7) 30 Each (6) 31 Woman (4) 32 Stupid (5) 35 Particle (4) 36 Final part (4,3) 38 Move slowly (4) 39 Vegetable (7) 42 Booths (6) 45 Female name (5) 46 Followers (7) 47 Fried potato (4) 48 Page (4) 50 Link (7) 52 Saint (5) 54 Stopped (6) 56 Go back over (7) 57 Chess piece (4) 59 Bypasses (7) 61 TV drama (4) 64 Say (5) 66 Dress hair (4) 67 Kill (6) 69 Criticism (7) 72 Aristocratic (3,6) 73 Marsh bird (5) 74 Accessible (3-2-4) 79 Custom (4) 81 Courtyard (5) 82 Hateful (9) 83 Fuss (2-2) 85 Reveals (4,2) 86 Work (6) 87 Squabble (3,4,1,3) DOWN 1 Front part (4) 2 Heat (6) 3 Slants (6) 4 Piece (7) 5 Ban (5) 6 e.g. Stilton (4,6) 7 Tread heavily (5) 8 Lack of justification (2,7) 9 Swathe (7) 10 Territory (4) 11 Futile (8) 15 Godlike (6) 21 Fool (5) 24 Marine (7) 25 Feast (6) 26 Slim (6) 28 Animal (5) 29 Decay (3) 33 Deceive (7) 34 Oration (6) 37 Pulled (5) 40 Offence (5) 41 Traffic jam (5-2) 43 At that point (5) 44 Comfort (6) 46 Swift (5) 49 Ahead (7) 51 Despicable (6) 53 Tie (6) 55 Tilts (5) 58 Token charge (7,3) 60 Understand (3) 62 Month (5) 63 Not any (4,2,3) 65 Intended (8) 68 Do again (6) 70 Bugging phone (7) 71 Flowering plant (7) 75 Turns aside (6) 76 Wrong (6) 77 Policeman (5) 78 Number (5) 80 Nonsense (4) 84 Entrance (4) DOWN 1 Leading figure, by all accounts (4) 2 Heat may be what has soldiers sheltering inside (6) 3 Is inclined to worry less about work (6) 4 Left one to get on with, for a bit (7) 5 Ban book ‘In The Embrace Of My Love’ (5) 6 An unhappy choice of topping for your cracker? (4,6) 7 Kind and good man: a politician (5) 8 Proof that complaint coffee wasn’t filtered was unjustified? (2,7) 9 Envelop in, when there’s change in weather (7) 10 Tract of ground to the left, as well (4) 11 She’s mad about dreadful Pole: no good (8) 15 Have meal round about six? Wonderful (6) 21 I had taken one, wrongly, to be a dolt (5) 24 Marine, once. CIA is very different (7) 25 Put on bread, does it make a sumptuous meal? (6) 26 Slim, small and weighing little (6) 28 After cold meal, possibly, it can fast for long period (5) 29 Go off, turning to the right (3) 33 Furious about lies concocted to deceive (7) 34 As a means of communication, cheeps peculiarly (6) 37 Tired-looking, is taken in tow (5) 40 Merciless, whipping, no less, for an offence (5) 41 Plus, stupidly, managed to reverse into traffic jam (5-2) 43 ‘78’ is crooked. Told you so! (5) 44 Only having caught a cold. That’s a comfort (6) 46 Prompt the pair to change key (5) 49 To obtain, pull up ahead (7) 51 Mean to silence baby by rocking (6) 53 Tie three loosely to that end (6) 55 Leans to the left. Sits, slumped (5) 58 A little money that comes with the title? (7,3) 60 Understand there’s a verbal agreement from Italy (3) 62 The kind of fool who goes out in it without a brolly? (5) 63 Nobody attending every single one. Absolutely nobody (4,2,3) 65 Intended to support and does, by working (8) 68 Peer strangely at, then peer strangely at again? (6) 70 Knocking sound that’s bugging one (7) 71 New variety of bean I leave in with flowering plant (7) 75 Turns away from a number in tears, distraught (6) 76 A street name that’s wrong (6) 77 Lad put double B in ‘constable’ (5) 78 Again in the afternoon (5) 80 ‘Piffle. Flip the coin,’ said drunkenly (4) 84 Keyhole, or what probably has one (4)