CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Why not challenge yourself – or solve the clues with a friend? Across Down

1. Grand dance soon to be arranged – and festively decorated with these (8) 5. sparkle at entrance to grotto, accompanied by offspring of puss in boots? (7) 9. reindeer – non-red

sort (6) 15. steal from fashionable

christmas bird (5) 16. carol king (9) 17. awoke and helped prepare the soup and custard? (7) 18. Goes away with bits of

mistletoe (6) 20. christmas bird brings sticky stuff to home counties (5) 21. barge about with eve, tipsy from champagne, for example (8) 24. sparkle like him and me

in south, right? (7) 25. turkey trot, maybe? (5) 27. one of those roasted to

a top crumbly state (6) 31. enthusiast captures us soldier, creating dickens character (5) 32. it gives an artist support during yule, as elves scurry about (5) 34. knight is turning right (3) 35. cinderella put her foot

in it (7) 36. one occurred on 34th street in a famous festive film (7) 38. starts to eat really rich

soup, but slips up (4) 39. see 23 40. Walks around tinsel, initially – it belongs to us (5) 42. tulip arranged to reveal what fairy lights did to the tree (3,2) 44. First two parts of christmas at home. a facial feature (4) 45. it might convey seasonal

greetings (4) 46. Wager small point is in

middle position (7) 49. it helps you listen to a

murder play (7) 50. you are said to be

female creature (3) 51. carollers sing that itcameupona midnight _____. (5) 52. it lets you listen to opposing points, so gets merited reward (5) 54. belt to smash if it

contains champagne (6) 55. having got up to see leaders of reindeer in santa’s exhilarating night (5) 57. nicks bits of music written about first two parts of christmas (7) 61. sister at party with panto per formers, perhaps (8) 63. clever ingredient of

christmas martini (5) 65. a cream confection that family might smile for on christmas day (6) 68. Fasteners for a panto

character (7) 69. put up decorations and

often does a turn (9) 70. When edited, poe’s a

fabulous author (5) 71. carol’s got so many

pipers piping (6) 72. reindeer (the high

stepping sort) (7) 73. a diamond gift of a

celebratory firework? (8) 1. beer, sir? Garnished with

mistletoe fruits? (7) 2. after final nowell, all begin to turn to sticking on gift tags (9) 3. With snow newly fallen, possess a little part of it (3) 4. soon after christmas, compose any wee verse. time to celebrate again! (3,5,3) 6. being idle now, arrange

for a brief rest (3-4) 7.they do much ringing during the christmas shopping rush (5) 8. Wise men need new seat,

coming from here (4) 10. more of a request from this dickens character (6,5) 11,29. popular christmas tree from another country, very smartlooking (6,6) 12. be embarrassed to become like rudolph’s nose (6) 13. can yule log contain

one, some or all? (3)