The key word is BUTTERMILK (8), which can be separated into words defined by 15, 27, 40; 4, 23, 25; and 2, 7, 35. First prize Brian Midgley, Ettington, Warwickshire Runners-up John M. Brown, Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire; K.J. Williams, Kings Worthy, Hampshire
The unclued Across lights are words abbreviated by C (= 100) and the unclued Down lights are abbreviated by c (= centimes). First prize Mrs P. Bealby, Stockton-on-Tees Runners-up Jacqui Sohn, Great Yarmouth, J. Murray, Exmouth
The two words were BULL and BEAR. BULL is suggested by 36, 41, 6 and 10; BEAR by 34, 37, 1D and 5. First prize M. Purdie, Ceres, Cupar, Fife Runners-up Rhidian Llewellyn, Minchinhampton, Glos; Ben Stephenson, London SW12
Six of the unclued entries contained the Cluedo character surnames; the remaining unclued entries were therefore a murder weapon and location from the game. First prize Michael Hawkins, Matlock, Derbyshire Runners-up Ferdinand Dobbs, London SW1; C.R. Haigh, Hassocks, West Sussex
The unclued lights are CONDUCTORS (SARGENT is an anagram of the title STRANGE). First prize Roderick Rhodes, Goldsborough, North Yorks Runners-up Ian Dempsey, Califon, New Jersey; Michael Ferguson, Berlin
The pairs of anagrams were of countries and their capitals: Dominica & Roseau (2 & 11); Latvia & Riga (20 & 8); Italy & Rome (21A & 35); Algeria & Algiers (27 & 26); Yemen & Sanaa (29 & 31). Title: PURE MAIL (Peru & Lima). First prize Henry Dove, Farnborough, Hampshire Runners-up J.B.
Initial letters of superfluous words in clues give titles of ALBUMS (29D) by FLEETWOOD MAC (39). 8A, 25, 33 and 34 are RUMOURS; 12 defines TUSK, and 1A defines MIRAGE; and TANGO IN THE NIGHT indicates 16 /17. First prize M. Day, London N6 Runners-up Paul Davies, Reading, Berks; Hilda Ball, Belfast
The unclued lights, when paired 12/20, 16/33, 25/29, 31/6, 42/2, are RICOCHET or reduplicated words. First prize Mrs Rhiannon Hales, Ilfracombe, Devon Runners-up Roger Sherman, Richmond, Surrey; D.V. Jones, Llanfair Caereinion, Powys
Redundant words were: IRAQI (1A), ADO (5A), AENEAS (39A), EPEE (5D), AREA (25D). In line with 16/17, remaining unclued lights were all anagrams of snakes: 18A ASP; 26A COBRA; 36A BOA; 41A FER-DE-LANCE; 31D ELAPID; 33D TAIPAN; 35D ADDER. First prize Rowan Priestman, Guildford, Surrey Runners-up Margaret Lusk, Fulwood, Lancashire; P. West, Birmingham
Extra letters in clues give the assertion by HOUSMAN (31) that ‘I could no more define poetry than a terrier can define a rat’. In the grid, the definition RENEGADE eludes seven unclued terriers. First prize J.R. Carrington, Denchworth, Oxfordshire Runners-up Sandra Speak, Dursley, Gloucestershire; Andrew James, Winchester, Hampshire
The unclued lights (1A, 1D/36, 4/31D, 5/27, 15/16A, 16D, 25A/40, 42 are each the PSEUDONYM (anagram of ‘Dumpynose’) of a famous celebrity. See Brewer 17th edition revised, page 1112 et seq. First prize Mike Underwood, Auvillar, France Runners-up Anthony H. Harker, Oxford; Gillian Ollerenshaw, Bowdon, Altrincham
The puzzle marked a DOUBLE TON (42/27) by DUMPYNOSE (11) in THE SPECTATOR (17/19). Remaining unclued lights suggest a DOUBLETON: two hearts (13 & 7), one diamond (1), one spade (6A) and one club (29). PLUCK (13) & SPIRIT (7) were to be shaded. First prize Elizabeth Feinberg, Carlsbad, CA, USA Runners-up Ian Shiels,
Twelve unclued lights are names of ARTISTS which are ANAGRAMS (9) of superfluous words in clues. First prize E. Hogg, London SW13 Runners-up A. Mulholland, Nottingham; Sue Topham, Elston, Newark
The chain of anagrams is as follows: 40, 8, 18, 25, 22, 23, 21D, 19, 1A First prize Robert Hirst, Twineham, West Sussex Runners-up Philip Berridge, Spalding, Lincolnshire; R.B. Briercliffe, Isle of Man
The quotation is inappropriate for the CHAMELEON and the PTARMIGAN (shown in red), both of which survive by blending in to the background. Appropriately, they were hidden in the final grid and were revealed by entering the correct words at 24A, 26A, 35A, 5D and 29D. First prize M.F. O’Brien, London N12 Runners-up Gerry Fairweather,
The part quotation was ‘BUT WESTWARD, LOOK, THE LAND’ (1/5/28) from Say not the struggle naught availeth by Arthur Hugh Clough. Remaining unclued lights, read from right to left (‘westward’), each contain a ‘land’: Libya (4), Oman (23), Iran (30), Cuba (35) and Italy (41). CLOUGH (in the fourth column) was to be shaded. First
Seven unclued lights are STUFFED ANIMALS (13 18) — i.e. deer, horse, anoa, cat, seal, tup and boar, filled with material supplied by TAXIDERMY (20). First prize Peter Done, Turramurra, NSW, Australia Runners-up Dr S.M. Sheerin, Princes Risborough, Bucks; D.P. Shenkin, London WC1
The unclued lights are characters from The Goon Show. The paired solutions are 22/20, 32/35 and 37/9. First prize Phillip Wickens, Penrith, Cumbria Runners-up Richard Snailham, Windsor; Roger King, Twickenham, Middlesex
The theme word is GRAVES: 19, 34 and 40 are famous cemeteries; 17, 28 and 39 are wines from SW France; 6D/12/16 is a work by Robert Graves. First prize Michael Grocott, Loughborough, Leics Runners-up Alan Hook, York; Dr R.L.H. Barnard, Emsworth, Hants
All the unclued lights mean ‘Goodbye’. First prize Alan Donovan, Croydon, Surrey Runners-up Mary Varela, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex; Geoffrey Telfer, Shipley, West Yorks
