Having solved the puzzle, solvers are required to highlight a 2×2 square which contains the four letters of the otherwise unclued theme word. This theme word can be paired with five of the unclued lights. The resulting pairs are then defined by the remaining five unclued lights (two of two words), all of which can be verified in Brewer.
Across
9 Islands forming ring — possibly a nice area (7)
11 Tail of forsaken kangaroo was not once in cell (7)
12 Dictator arrests leader of army violently (5)
17 Mac’s own muslin. Not half (4)
20 London university splitting gas particle (7)
21 Craving for food oddly, megalomaniac gnome dismissed (7)
23 Cuddle in the bar with broken leg (7)
25 They are outside finishing their Chianti, Chambertin and Chablis (5)
30 Animal, one ultimately man-eating, secured by lock (7)
31 French playwright’s boredom broadcast (7)
35 Colleen who’s good where she’s from (4)
36 Siberian knight’s dropped the port (5)
37 Things stolen from newspaper — Sun (6)
39 Rock’s fragrant bush has to remain reportedly (7)
40 Done any juggling? Tetchy (7)
Down
1 Bird sounds on cameras (5)
2 Provide more weapons to hold up mutineers’ leader (5)
3 Growing out of kraken, a tentacle? (5)
5 Year entry about US soldier with a pain? (7)
6 Nice distinctions — troublesome things one’s abandoned (7)
7 A good sort, meek at heart, and sweet (6)
8 With these galleries, we turn heavenwards (9)
10 More than one white acacia’s out with sun (10)
13 Practical knowledge of Scottish furniture that’s visible (7)
15 Training of fliers from RAF – only about 100 ordered (8)
18 For instance, Columba’s unwilling to share (10)
21 Madly torn out in an incisive manner (9)
22 French boy’s accent (7)
26 Pin on hem of dress’s difficult to deal with (7)
28 Snakes concealed in poa, I disturbed (7)
29 Awful bloomer, Frenchman leaving jacket (6)
30 Pitch and toss initially upset drinking campaign (30)
32 Some grim or nervous blunt head (5)
33 They left out antiknock compound (5)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 26 September.
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