Books & Puzzles
What links UK music stars Lily allen and Boy George? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares.
ACROSS
1 House constructor, bricks and mortar worker (7) 5 Political promotions in the run up to an election (8) 9 Revolve (4) 13 Unwanted plants (5) 14 Shoemaker (7) 15 Insect’s feeler (7) 16 Sound of elastic breaking or a plucked guitar string (5) 17 Smith’s iron block (5) 18 Responds to (6) 20 Field barrier, perhaps (5) 21 Fastest land mammal (7) 23 Pre-revolution Russian leader (4) 26 Group of wolves (4) 27 From Morocco, perhaps, or Nigeria or Tanzania (7) 30 US state that includes The Everglades (7) 34 Business colleague (7) 36 Vehicle fuel (6) 37 Complete the puzzle (5) 39 Animal with a horn on its nose (10) 40 Hardly likely (10) 42 Of high birth (5) 43 Plush material (6) 44 Whole number, digit (7) 46 Of food grown without chemicals and insecticides (7) 47 Swimmer’s breathing tube (7) 48 Confidence trick (4) 53 Spool or dance (4) 54 Write-up of a meeting (7) 55 Proportional relation (5) 58 Island in the Med, capital Nicosia (6) 60 Eyeshade or the front part of a helmet (5) 62 High winds (5) 66 Section of a book (7) 67 Choices (7) 68 Row, quarrel (5) 69 Duellist’s choice, perhaps (4) 70 Recording tape (8) 71 Movie performer (7)
DOWN
1 Enchant (7) 2 From Reykjavik, perhaps (9) 3 Clothing innovator (8) 4 Lump of stone or a type of music (4) 5 Havana is the capital (4) 6 Large juicy gourd (5) 7 Passenger plane (8) 8 Animal that might be a billy or a nanny (4) 10 Frantic terror (5) 11 Vessel in which the animals went two by two (5,3) 12 Sharply inclined (5) 19 Canadian tree or a type of syrup (5) 22 Fireplace (6) 24 Small container attached to the seat of a bike (9) 25 Condition of extremities caused by severe cold (9) 26 Decorating a wall (8) 28 Food grower (6) 29 Made better (8) 31 Levy on wages and salaries (6,3) 32 One who travels a distance to work (8) 33 Old communication, sent by wire (8) 35 Make good an expense (9) 38 Tom - - -, film actor (6) 41 Tree-lined street (6) 45 Shy, faint-hearted (5) 49 Mail-order book (9) 50 Three-wheeled vehicle (8) 51 Glowing in the dark (8) 52 Expecting a baby (8) 56 Shellfish, said to be an aphrodisiac (7) 57 Covered in red, iron corrosion (5) 59 Item of crockery (5) 61 Perhaps two quartets put together (5) 63 Operatic showstopper (4) 64 Bird of peace (4) 65 Largest continent (4)