2586: Inst

To start off the New Year, the unclued lights (one of two words) share a common feature.

Across

11    A female, for example, talked of items for discussion (6)

14    It happened during the 70s (5)

15    Regularly reveal art of great wordsmith (5)

16    Our Fraser getting hold of 111 (6)

17    Article aboard cruise ship following a straight path (6)

19    Domestic flight (9)

21    Turned up with artist’s surveillance devices (7)

24    Combining well with competitor in shelter (9)

Most popular

Hamish McRae

The crash is not as bad as it seems

26    Heartless judge misread translated tales of woe (9)

29    Worried Australian ran away to historical East European area (7)

30    Those of the same calling (9)

32    Develop a link with old clay (6)

33    At first, awfully naughty, greedy little boy could be obtuse (6)

35    Praise old flame’s ring endlessly (5)

36    Lowdown on the team’s spirits (5)

37    Check on heartbeat (7)

38    Raptor circles its dinner? (6)

39    Wimps swap their first three bridge partners just the same (7)

40    Lowers old manor houses, we’re told (7)

Down

2    City in Ulster changing sides recently (5)

3    Stops happening what curlers play (4)

4    Degas and Miro adapted Chinese characters (9)

5    Fires and parachutes to safety (6)

7    Proboscis worker left one afternoon (6)

8    Money raised by cop for formal wear (4,6)

9    Shabby party clothes with news boss (3-5)

10    Request directions before outing? (7)

13    Former president washed up on time (2,6)

18    Crimson first lady prunes blossoms again (10)

20    Watchman dispatched, off-line (8)

23    Plugs foreign word in foreign prose (8)

25    Offensive nature of order on headland (8)

29    Listed as erudite, but heartless (6)

31    Butt contralto who’s caught WI batsman (5)

34    Grappler on and off revealing width of fish-hook (4)

A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on  23 January.