Clockwise round the grid from 3 run three song titles (totalling 13 words) with 3D/16 (five words in all) giving a fourth. The lyrics of the first two songs were written by someone sharing a surname with the lyricist of the other two. This name (6) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Corner letters could be A LIE. Ignore an apostrophe.
Across
9 Tug made of timber with women aboard (5)
10 Irrational Boers possibly priggish (5)
11 Instrument from India leading performer holds (5)
12 Flowery piece by Homer on pot (7)
13 Glamorous group of offspring Rod checks in (10)
15 Yes, rook flutters in tree (5)
18 Trainer of Turner painted arresting old city (8)
20 Actor Tim turned fine painter (6)
22 Top expert gets married (4)
24 Irishman backed Irish quadruped (5)
25 Girl from region round Troy (5)
26 Rebecca curtailed curtsey at Balmoral (4)
28 Bacon spots his queen (6)
29 White wine and a little gin end recurring eye problem (8)
34 To be monarch means to govern so it’s said (5)
36 Nazi superrace could make liberal reverend honk endlessly (10)
37 Food to eat nearly all eaten (7)
38 More or less inadequate factotum (5)
39 Drum rolling welcomes acting governors (5)
40 Hamlet maybe, heard to stoop (5)
Down
1 More hostile grocer estranges a pair of epicures (5)
2 Dope injecting couple hobnob professionally (7)
4 Papa polled fruit tree in Camelot (6)
5 Old and unaltered restful place (5)
6 Cryptic card comes over fine (8)
7 Yankee present in battleground (5)
8 Moolah retired near Libya (5)
14 Charming tailless horned beast (5)
17 Behaving like a drunk is shocking (10)
19 Stop bream swimming (5)
21 Unshowy wine a bit short (5)
23 Cover Ken fashioned for physicist (8)
27 Letter concerning oven to be installed (7)
30 Not quite significant mollusc (6)
31 Cigar harmed Mac’s throat (5)
32 Pasture in poet’s farm (5)
33 Carol taking against Emma? (5)
35 Designer soldier clothes leader of unit confined to camp (5)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 26 October.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in