If the grid were a TIMEPIECE (13/12), the six perimetric words (GRANITE, LIMESTONE, SERPENTINE, GREYWACKE, DALRADIAN and HORNFELS) might collectively suggest ‘Rock Around the Clock’, which song was RECORDED (22) SIXTY (19) years ago, on 12th April 1954, by Bill Haley & His Comets. HALEY (eighth row) was to be shaded. First prize David
The perimeter is occupied by seven SANDPIPERS. First prize Tim Hanks, Douglas, Isle of Man Runners-up Hilda Ball, Belfast; B. Taylor, Little Lever, Bolton
The unclued lights are SIBYLS (the title was an anagram of BILLY’S with L omitted). First prize Judith Bevis, Newport, South Wales Runners-up Dr Stephen Clarkson, Ipswich, Suffolk; Geoffrey Telfer, Baildon, West Yorkshire
The MUSICAL (33) BARON (29) Lloyd-Webber’s BIRTHDAY (40) was on 22nd March; he was 66 (hence the title). His works include EVITA (16A), MEMORY (24) and ANY DREAM WILL DO (1D). WELL-BRED BOY (7/22A) is an anagram of LLOYD-WEBBER. First prize Christina March, Windsor Runners-up Dr Simon Shaw, Goosnargh, Lancs; Emma Staveley, London SW15
Corrections of misprints in clues form the phrase BAIT AND SWITCH. Unclued lights are examples of bait (10, 16, 23, 38) and switch (15, 20, 31, 37). First prize Robert Hinton, Swansea Runners-up Mark Roberts, Luxembourg; Roger Sherman, Richmond, Surrey
Each letter of each solution and each unclued light has to be represented in the grid by its numerical position in the alphabet — the title, T = 20, indicated this transposition. ACROSS: 1 SEVEN 6 Peal 12 Certain 13 SIX 14 Dagger 15 Begorra 16 Vola 20 Bob 22 Betel 23 Kae 24 Dusk 26 Waifs 30 Ria
The three theme words are CHAMBERS (12A, 16A, 40A), OXFORD (colleges) (24A, 4D, 8D), and (works by Wilkie) COLLINS (9D, 13D, 30D), each a publisher of a DICTIONARY, which needed highlighting. First prize Peter Cramb, Bridport, Dorset Runners-up Jane Howard, Chilham, Kent; L. Coumbe, Benfleet, Essex
‘To fill the hour — that is happiness’ (given by initial letters of superfluous words in clues, and 3 4A) is a quotation by EMERSON (19). Thematically created entries at 12, 22, 31 and 33 are defined by 28, 34, 36 and 15D. First prize Leslie Purkiss, Southend on Sea, Essex Runners-up David Jenkinson, Matlock,
When preceded by GREAT, each unclued light yields a phrase listed in Brewer 19th edition. First prize Mrs T. Vernalls, Thame, Oxfordshire Runners-up J. Anson, London SE5; A. Fabian, Dunsden, Oxfordshire
Unclued lights can each be abbreviated so that together they give the letters of FEBRUARY: FAHRENHEIT (19), EARTH (32), BASS (35), RÖNTGEN UNIT (41), UNIVERSITY (1D), ATOMIC WEIGHT (4), RECTOR (12) and YEN (7A). First prize Hilda Ball, Belfast Runners-up Roderick Rhodes, Goldsborough, N. Yorks;B. Taylor, Little Lever, Bolton
Taking one unchecked letter from each across solution gives EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION, whose victims, according to Chambers 2011, include TERRORIST SUSPECTs. The initial letters of unclued entries were S,T,R,R,T,I,E,R,O. First prize Michael Debenham, Shrewsbury Runners-up Mrs Jane Smith, King’s Lynn; Jamie Staveley, London SW15
One 4-letter word is to be placed in the middle of another to yield an 8-letter solution: 6 ÷ 19 = 44: 14 ÷ 8 = 1A; 31D ÷ 37 = 31A; 22 ÷ 25D = 9 First prize John Bartlett, Shirley, Solihull Runners-up Anthony Harker, Oxford; Mrs D. King, Leeds
Each pair consists of two in a ‘row’ in a variety of meanings. PURL (14) & PLAIN (25) (line of stitches), MERCUTIO (17) & TYBALT (40) (brawl), ROT/TEN (24/27) (Rotten Row) and BOW (29) & STROKE (32) (journey in rowing boat). First prize S.J.J. Tiffin, Cockermouth, Cumbria Runners-up Stephen Daneff, London SW18; E.A. Wright,
The work was ‘THE TAMING OF THE (1D) Shrew’. ‘Shrew’ is suggested by 15, 27 and 33. The ‘Shrew’ of the title is KATHARINA (38), addressed as ‘KATE OF KATE-HALL’ (9) (in ODQ) by Petruchio (disguised as EUTROPHIC (20)), whose servant is Curtis (CITRUS (3)). Title: ‘tamed’ SONDELI (the Indian musk shrew). First prize
The unclued lights are all geographical locations – paired as anagrams: 13/9, 23/28. 30/17, 34/6 and 42/33. (33 Down is a river rather than a place-name, but DONETSK (33+K) would have maintained the theme more specifically, but then it is not an anagram of OSTEND!) First prize Magdalena Deptula, Eton, Berkshire Runners-up D.G. Tallis,
Christmas carols, and their anagrammed ‘new titles’: O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY GOOD KING WENCESLAS I SAW THREE SHIPS IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER ALLELUIA OF THE COMFY ADMIT UMPTEENTH ANGELIC CHOIR COSY, DAINTY, DIVINE CAROL LEGS GO CAKED IN SNOW SPIES THEIR
Extra letters in clues give ‘wrapped in wild snow’, a quotation from a poem by ALEXANDER BLOK (10). Partially indicated answers are treated accordingly, the resulting entries at 1D, 14, 17, 22, and 40 being defined by 4A, 27, 3, 19, and 11. First prize Dr J. McClelland, Bangor, Northern Ireland Runners-up Mrs R.J.C. Shapland,
The unclued lights are examples of super slang listed on pp 7/8 in the Word Lover’s Miscellany section of Chambers 2011. First prize Paul Boswell, Hook, Hampshire Runners-up M. Puttick, Montpézat, France; M.F. O’Brien, London N12
The hero is Father Brown, appearing in column 3. ‘The Innocence (22) / Wisdom (15) / Secret (6D) / Scandal (27) of Father Brown’ are four collections containing, respectively, the stories ‘The Blue Cross’ (7), ‘The Purple Wig’ (25), ‘The Red Moon of Meru’ (18) and ‘The Green Man’ (26). First prize Steve Reszetniak, Enfield,
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
