CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

12 Accept you should capture, when playing chess? (4,2,5) 13 More slick talk from the salesman (6) 14 Trapped in mid-circle: gruesome (6) 16 Sign that means ‘Duck, chaps’? (4) 17 Somehow notices, when backing in, the suspension (9) 18 Something you read when dad gets through with (5) 19 Look for somebody in Debrett’s (4) 20 Fish that has a sour taste? (5,4) 22 Very pale and having little energy (5) 23 Stop! Lay off! There’s a truce (5-4) 27 Female gets on so well working with males (7) 30 Notices redhead entering is wearing (6) 31 Girl who got locked in a safe? (4) 32 Black fly seen in the thicket (5) 35 Surprise comeback, is very enthusiastic about (4) 36 Shout out ‘Cheers!’ imbibing teeny bit of champagne (7) 38 Unsheathe and, turning, parry (4) 39 I trot off, therefore, to bring in Italian food (7) 42 Clergyman had spire repaired at top of temple (6) 45 Fabric of the day: modish (5) 46 A plunge in stock (7) 47 Someone trying to catch you in a mistake (4) 48 Gang is outlawed in speech (4) 50 Heartbroken, be about to murmur (7) 52 Having nabbed small role, performing, he’s a flop (5) 54 Knocked very gently. Sweetheart turned round (6) 56 Dead worried, rushed outside. A tremor (7) 57 Become engaged and married. She is distraught (4) 59 Backs. They don’t win? (7) 61 Nut — perhaps a cob (4) 64 Though not quite an ecologist, share their views (5) 66 Getting into coat, ring number (4) 67 Frisk doctor entering prison (6) 69 Spell with one S. Is wrong. Put in another (7) 72 Famous, has been learned by heart (4-5) 73 Hang about! There’s a car in the river (5) 74 Continued ‘We had cast a net, spread out, inside’ (4,5) 79 Stash away for the point-to-point (4) 81 Location is said to mean a lot (5) 82 Carry out in sack (9) 83 Identify and send back European chap (4) 85 ‘Flute is broken,’ I put in. ‘No good’ (6) 86 It is involved in a scam and there’s a proscecution (6) 87 Something for which you have a love/hate feeling? (3,8)

DOWN

1 Large river engulfing without a ripple (4) 2 Taken care of, observe. Not ramshackle (4,2) 3 Pounds in fort, reportedly holding gold (6) 4 As against ‘only comfort’ (7) 5 Decipher, by a stroke of luck? (5) 6 Attracted by a flighty dame, silly gent is entering (10) 7 Stages in the raising of small domestic animals (5) 8 Given a lift to somewhere else, called on (7,2) 9 Emphasise that you’ll remedy the lack of volunteers (7) 10 Cut and run when policeman comes round (4) 11 Are working in companies making guns (8) 15 Dry up and the comic (a female) comes on (6) 21 Standing before, caught, is given time (5) 24 If our merger flops, will be beside ourselves: livid (7) 25 Put a screw to hold in. Be optimistic (6) 26 Pays for and, taking right back, scoffs (6) 28 Name an instrument in the doctor’s bag (5) 29 Looked up a has-been (3) 33 Without it, is a kitchen bare? (7) 34 Resentful of little half sister (6) 37 So, when certain, incorporates (5) 40 Weight rising, take dessert — double helping (5) 41 Fly around, flapping. Are tiresome (7) 43 Are out at church when you get there (5) 44 With medication, between times, is fit (6) 46 Spots a number brooding, the idiots! (5) 49 Was successful and I had been accommodated in, to live (3,4) 51 Idea is, they should grab the ball and run (6) 53 Area that’s dry, on top of hill (6) 55 Page with ‘Sicknesses and Prescribed Treatment’ (5) 58 Everywhere from top to bottom (4,3,3) 60 Look for the said key (3) 62 Has arm embracing love and a bouquet (5) 63 Refusal by a winger to play: a foreigner (9) 65 How entertaining Alexander was? (5,3) 68 Gold in bulk found in fen (6) 70 Dance to notes played by record (3-4) 71 Listen and speak, that’s how rumour is born (7) 75 Having rows, tried to involve the English in (6) 76 Truly hard time one’s gone through (6) 77 Say half the testaments have been tampered with (5) 78 Sun out here — very fine (5) 80 Cat burglars do (4) 84 Dock a boat, taking up space (4)