THE GIANT CROSSWORD
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
12 Is it worth less than a silver birch? (6,5) 13 Soon roughly half doze off, or drowse (6) 14 Bought at chemist’s, given pound, too, in change (6) 16 King Neptune’s cleaner? (4) 17 Dismantled and appropriated one of the components (4,5) 18 He doesn’t wear out easily and doesn’t have a nap (5) 19 In addition, it sets one competitor against another (4) 20 Len had to come back and help (4,1,4) 22 Novice within a year trained for race (5) 23 Information, I learn, is leaked about, usually (2,7) 27 Don’t! There’s a fractious ram inside, sleeping (7) 30 On the street, are irritating: a pain (6) 31 Personal assistant who made ladies have change of heart (4) 32 Trivial, my dear. Toy lacks ring (5) 35 Drink hard for drunkard to swallow (4) 36 Pester to let out a number imprisoned in (7) 38 Fly back, business not completed (4) 39 Love affair that came to nothing in ‘Carmen’, sadly (7) 42 Propped up outhouse outside or inside (6) 45 Bone that featured in ‘Knife Murder’ (5) 46 To twist is to do wrong (7) 47 Decline to dispense with (4) 48 Lovely and remote for one to hide in (4) 50 Let down, shattered, kept talking about (5,2) 52 Makes boat wobble and could wreck it (5) 54 Did mother want to know what the fabric is? (6) 56 For myself, jumble sales bring back unpleasant childhood memories (7) 57 Admitting royal expert is dull (4) 59 This garment takes twice the time to put on (7) 61 Some role! (4) 64 Come out with a wisecrack (5) 66 Is able to house large family (4) 67 Fall for an American (6) 69 Are left at home, to their consternation (7) 72 Got set to wreck daydream about the East (4,5) 73 Freed ears and tip of nose caught in trap (5) 74 What few people know is what makes spinning object hum (3,6) 79 To describe the day: ‘cold and damp’ (4) 81 In the engine, can’t one tell if it’s back to front? (5) 82 Left disturbed by earthquake, it’s true (9) 83 Sign to get credit (4) 85 Stress it’s a c-coin of little value (6) 86 A one-eyed bug! (6) 87 Function not attended by the ‘in’ people? (6,5)
DOWN
1 It flies. Hard for cat to follow, climbing (4) 2 Was lenient, giving extra day to (6) 3 Poor devil threw off cold caught (6) 4 Echo so in the under-ground (7) 5 Quarrel a bit (5) 6 Free to join in the nude dancing (10) 7 Kid about when you drink to (5) 8 Making mistake in knocking rum back to acquire bravery (7-2) 9 Amended the tale, tweaking a shade (7) 10 Pack it in jars to take back (4) 11 Left by the artist, it is a painting (8) 15 Boy’s name and age must be written in licence (6) 21 A time back, he got policeman in (5) 24 Giving medal out, Queen is clad in green (7) 25 Run right into ‘78’ (6) 26 Sponsor for two boys (6) 28 The person who married mother (5) 29 Aficionado — but not of squirrels? (3) 33 Toys at that end: guns (7) 34 Kicked off, too, getting into bed (6) 37 Fright I got in an Italian city (5) 40 A mixture of furious and peeved? (5) 41 Providing argument against, only to solace (7) 43 Pull up and give a sigh (5) 44 Are infirm, becoming by the day more peculiar (6) 46 Smoked, perhaps, but is now free of the addiction (5) 49 Determine to make lover’s knot with string (7) 51 Seat the man is occupying (6) 53 Inferior, but it sounds good to birds (6) 55 Backing pop goes into elm tree (5) 58 An idea borne in mind? (10) 60 It’s heavy. Not to be lifted (3) 62 Create a laugh to uplift? (5) 63 Pleased, notes packed bag (9) 65 Had a meal going round Capri, awfully expensive (2,1,5) 68 Yarn half of them had read (6) 70 Is sorry for river birds (7) 71 Follow, given tips, and find smouldering remains (3-4) 75 Eating till one’s gorged on day one — no good (6) 76 Upset, can’t dad get back to sleep? (6) 77 Tell to redo, changing right through (5) 78 Second mate ramblingly tells what powers ship (5) 80 Daisy, the little daughter? (4) 84 Stacking half up for show (4)
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
12 Tree (6,5) 13 Drowse (6) 14 Liquid cosmetic (6) 16 Fish (4) 17 Dismantled (4,5) 18 Fabric (5) 19 Mines (4) 20 Help (4,1,4) 22 Team race (5) 23 Usually (2,7) 27 Temporarily inactive (7) 30 Side pain (6) 31 Assistant (4) 32 Trivial (5) 35 Drain (4) 36 Pester (7) 38 Rush (4) 39 Love affair (7) 42 Propped up (6) 45 Thighbone (5) 46 Twist (7) 47 Fall (4) 48 Beautiful (4) 50 Spoke at length (5,2) 52 Shakes (5) 54 Table linen material (6) 56 Contagious disease (7) 57 Dull (4) 59 Close-fitting jacket (7) 61 Role (4) 64 Quip (5) 66 Family (4) 67 Season (6) 69 Succeed to (7) 72 Prepared (4,5) 73 Trap (5) 74 Hush-hush (3,6) 79 Sketch (4) 81 Engine part (5) 82 Sincere (9) 83 Credit (4) 85 Stress (6) 86 Annoy (6) 87 Outdoor function (6,5)
DOWN
1 Insect (4) 2 Was lenient (6) 3 Poor devil (6) 4 Echo (7) 5 Fragment (5) 6 Free (10) 7 Drink to (5) 8 Bravery (7-2) 9 Changed (7) 10 Pack it in (4) 11 Picture (8) 15 Licence (6) 21 Era (5) 24 Green gem (7) 25 Flow (6) 26 Sponsor (6) 28 Mother (5) 29 Squirrel food (3) 33 Toys with (7) 34 Kicked (6) 37 Italian city (5) 40 Angry (5) 41 Solace (7) 43 Pull upwards (5) 44 Totter (6) 46 Preserved (5) 49 Determine (7) 51 Ceremonial seat (6) 53 Secondrate (6) 55 Tree (5) 58 Idea (10) 60 Weight (3) 62 Lift (5) 63 Bag (9) 65 Proving costly (2,1,5) 68 Yarn (6) 70 Is sorry (7) 71 Cigarette butts (3-4) 75 Glutting (6) 76 Short sleep (6) 77 Command (5) 78 Vapour (5) 80 Wild plant (4) 84 Musical (4)