THE GIANT CROSSWORD
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
12 Coin name for a tree (6,5) 13 Negotiating, I save about fifty on the bag (6) 14 The players are cross with one (6) 16 Turn round gasping when gag is removed (4) 17 Petty, like crook who gets short sentence (5-4) 18 Returning to place ad for romantic partners (5) 19 Dissolute man with big teeth? (4) 20 Are capable of being read, you argue (4,5) 22 Having no work’s going back to the club (5) 23 What women find distressing is what broke egg in nest (5-4) 27 Fly noisy and large, you say (7) 30 Hard to cut string (6) 31 Has won, going all out, by a point (4) 32 Stop father and ourselves being given a key (5) 35 Stagger back with metal objects from DIY store (4) 36 Short time it takes to make record of the meeting (7) 38 Bear and otters let loose to start with (4) 39 Said little for one’s dexterity (7) 42 They sharpen up for the return games (6) 45 Defeat the least good (5) 46 Ramshackle, pull to pieces (3,4) 47 A good number had left (4) 48 Is forced to apply pressure to the fastener (4) 50 Say the chaps had box with nothing in it (7) 52 Boarded to go to the north (3,2) 54 Someone having a drink and a meal (6) 56 Seen grabbing fifty pounds, had run out (7) 57 Animal that can run backwards (4) 59 Leave little son inside with a sweet (7) 61 Right ski loose. Danger (4) 64 Run after, is caught as he stumbles (5) 66 Be carrying, or carried (4) 67 Sound rule, when getting the doctor in (6) 69 Writes to one relating to retirement income (7) 72 Discards ice cream to have pancake (4,5) 73 Pip’s weight? (5) 74 Be humiliated by a session with the shrink? (4,5) 79 Returning to second story (4) 81 Suppose this is out of ink (5) 82 What makes you get away from tree very fast (9) 83 Rang to say, when informed (4) 85 Stand, stop and turn again (6) 86 Frank is about one’s height (6) 87 Not provided with central heating, which is unkind (4-7)
DOWN
1 A dance band is brought in. Possibly a steel band (4) 2 Scrounge a cake (6) 3 Before drunken sot gets instruction not to linger in bars (6) 4 Called up daughter and son with questions (7) 5 Tick off for having disposed of about a hundred (5) 6 Cruel man and violent? Not I (10) 7 Frightened: the opposite of calm (5) 8 Made a mistake with past tense of ‘go’. Error (4,5) 9 Was putting up notices about playground attractions (7) 10 Be a right grouch! (4) 11 A fondness for that’s one’s Achilles’ heel (8) 15 Travelling miles and parking in for a picnic (6) 21 Grant it sounds like a great deal (5) 24 Dance about. Am furious (7) 25 Wiser to have non-drinker when there’s drink about (6) 26 Dupe tot into, spinning yarn (6) 28 Not a wrong note in the music (5) 29 I omitted, mistakenly, lime tree (3) 33 Aware His Majesty now has entered (7) 34 The - - cartridges are no good! (6) 37 Took the chair when one deputised for (3,2) 40 So bird cage is empty (5) 41 He reckons it may be a substitute for money (7) 43 Parking the vehicle beforehand, walk (5) 44 He calculates it will last three months (6) 46 Was mad about the silver colour (5) 49 Delivers a reprimand — or gives the heave-ho (5,2) 51 Pressed one to take two men on (6) 53 Lest possibly America enters the fight (6) 55 Areas intended to be green filled with cars (5) 58 Really good start for child going to school (5-5) 60 Bind in what sounds like an Asian language (3) 62 For small pupil, also brought in a seat (5) 63 South-east. That’s unequivocal (9) 65 Shooting and injuring a number within (8) 68 Deal with the Homo sapiens era (6) 70 Sprinkle the rest randomly round, pet (7) 71 In tears. Note stirs memories (7) 75 Consuming egg flip, boy was slow (6) 76 Drives the missus crazy, too, being confined inside (6) 77 For penniless relations, a way round (5) 78 Deign to take round a peace offering (5) 80 Given instruction verbally, is nervous (4) 84 That is small coming after large whoppers (4)