THE GIANT CROSSWORD
CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS
12 Say goodbye to auction rooms? (3,8) 13 Complain about the mother, in German (6) 14 It tells you someone’s just had tea and food in Lancashire (6) 16 After one day, half left: work-shy (4) 17 Figure this one’s crooked — fraudulent (9) 18 Having a liking for the Army, set out to join (5) 19 Question about what creates inflation (4) 20 Subdued and cold, got a move on (9) 22 See right through, when you wear (5) 23 Informs — texts a brief message? (5,4) 27 From a chest, transformed to large bag (7) 30 How much for electricity? (6) 31 Blow that catches the eye (4) 32 Pronounced correctly, show you’re literate (5) 35 Worry namby-pambies will be returned (4) 36 Quick to show one’s feelings (7) 38 Not bad, as French resorts go? (4) 39 Supports non-winners (7) 42 Assesses as ‘Good reads. Funny’ (6) 45 Had been promoted. Is English. In the Navy (5) 46 Not bad. Capturing the sun going down (7) 47 Work through a great many I brought back (4) 48 Extra soft and lush. Not hard (4) 50 Again one goes back east by train (7) 52 Water that cleaves its way through land? (5) 54 About the former, empathise (6) 56 Stop something happening to the pair (7) 57 Warning chaps put by hole (4) 59 Leave little son to tuck into pudding (7) 61 Note has been changed to obtain wherewithal (4) 64 Startle us, dropping and breaking saucers (5) 66 Bring back in their bag French cheese (4) 67 ‘It’s a means of signalling,’ boy repeated (3-3) 69 Rub the wrong way and she’s prepared for tiffs (7) 72 Packed, darn it, and at its very noisiest (4,5) 73 From the first, my grasp is not at all clear (5) 74 Which cat caused alarm to go off inside? (9) 79 The article is quite malicious in part (4) 81 Cut me dead outside — ouch! (5) 82 Concedes. To accommodate, again removes controls (5,4) 83 Vacancies a doctor’s come about (4) 85 Complains like mad about the French (6) 86 In rut, have a go at making French stew (6) 87 Left at this moment — or maybe later (3,5,3)
DOWN
1 Having accepted new offer, complain (4) 2 From Her Majesty’s volunteers (6) 3 Reach across for the wife to grasp key (6) 4 Weight up, diet’s been messed with. Cheated (7) 5 Left in grub and an abundance of water (5) 6 Vegetable not allowed on a dairy-free diet? (6,4) 7 Declare to the country (5) 8 Continues with the papers one’s setting (7,2) 9 Run through the advertisements to find links (7) 10 Pack it in containers to return (4) 11 Nonsense. Go off after the soldier (8) 15 But he could be responsible for losing a game (6) 21 Be told to delete O from ‘core’ (5) 24 Spent, as is our wont, stupidly (4-3) 25 Thanks for the encouragement (6) 26 A number of country bumpkins pursuing birds! (6) 28 Surrounded by fish, we get frightened (5) 29 Look! It’s reversible! (3) 33 To get it going round, peer at, twiddling (7) 34 ‘Recovered from’ would be more acceptable (6) 37 The intelligence to understand, assimilating points (5) 40 Gist is ‘If doctor has time to go round’ (5) 41 Had tendency to embrace the right, one found out (7) 43 Not a subject you’ll remember from school days (5) 44 Sprouting but not out. It’s early in the year (6) 46 Challenged by, yes, Russian communist (5) 49 Many averse to cut. Large number (7) 51 What you dial to get the anaesthetist (6) 53 Sense it’s a mirage (6) 55 Doesn’t have to sound sloppy (5) 58 Only a matter of no importance, yet . . . (7,3) 60 Heel, lifted, reveals something black and sticky (3) 62 Rate at which the ocean’s rising (5) 63 What’s making you think it might start a quarrel? (9) 65 How baker responded to complaints about bread being hard? (8) 68 Reason to shift it back inside (6) 70 I’m back in the flesh! From Belgium (7) 71 Goes all out to provide jobs (7) 75 The human took a long time to cope with it (6) 76 Comes upon unexpectedly and gets blazing (6) 77 Saying ‘It’s not the BC era!’ (5) 78 House in a street in a town in Berkshire (5) 80 Aim low (4) 84 Ruse to get into top fifty, making a comeback (4)
QUICK CLUES ACROSS
12 Say goodbye (3,8) 13 Mumble (6) 14 Baked stew (6) 16 Lazy (4) 17 Fraudulent (9) 18 Liking (5) 19 Interrogate (4) 20 Subdued (9) 22 Wear (5) 23 Conveys message (5,4) 27 School bag (7) 30 Fee (6) 31 Fastener (4) 32 Jot down (5) 35 Worry about (4) 36 Fast (7) 38 Pleasant (4) 39 Runners-up (7) 42 Classifies (6) 45 Been raised (5) 46 Going down (7) 47 Labour (4) 48 Bonus (4) 50 Followers (7) 52 Big stream (5) 54 Tell (6) 56 Stop (7) 57 Sign (4) 59 Last course (7) 61 Money (4) 64 Frighten (5) 66 French cheese (4) 67 Drum (3-3) 69 Skirmishes (7) 72 Maximum volume (4,5) 73 Hazy (5) 74 Orange preserve (9) 79 Article (4) 81 Cut (5) 82 Allows freedom (5,4) 83 Spaces (4) 85 Complains (6) 86 French stew (6) 87 Maybe later (3,5,3)
DOWN
1 Grumble (slang) (4) 2 Volunteers (6) 3 Span (6) 4 Contorted (7) 5 Deluge (5) 6 Vegetable (6,4) 7 Declare (5) 8 Continues (7,2) 9 Links (7) 10 Cease (4) 11 Nonsense (8) 15 Goalie (6) 21 Centre (5) 24 Exhausted (4-3) 25 Encouragement (6) 26 Young birds (6) 28 Browbeaten (5) 29 Look at (3) 33 Make function (7) 34 Cured (6) 37 Nous (5) 40 Gist (5) 41 Found out (7) 43 Monarch (5) 44 Season (6) 46 Challenged (5) 49 Many (7) 51 Digit (6) 53 Sight (6) 55 Doesn’t have (5) 58 Only (7,3) 60 Pitch (3) 62 Velocity (5) 63 Puzzle (9) 65 Peevishly (8) 68 Reason (6) 70 Belgian (7) 71 Hurtles (7) 75 Cope (6) 76 Sets fire to (6) 77 Maxim (5) 78 Berkshire town (5) 80 Intend (4) 84 Scheme (4)