A first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Book of Great Speeches (hardback) will be awarded for the first correct solutions opened. The first four prizewinners will, in addition, each receive a bottle of champagne. Entries to: Christmas Crossword, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP by
The other unclued entries, in pairs around 3D, provide the key words in a definition of 11D. Across 1 Nouns hidden in secret and manuscript sentences (8) 10 Sea beast who I’ll tape somehow (10, two words) 13 Goat starts to gnaw at one fish (8) 16 ‘Nameless’ ‘noodle’ could be ‘oodle’? (5)
‘1D/19’ (six words in total) is a work by 18/13. Remaining unclued lights form two pairs suggested by 13. Across 1 Rhubarb hems in humungous hen house (5) 10 Sweeteners in course lass sprinkled (10) 11 I tease one who’s arrived clasping book (6) 14 Engaging earl retired Russian spots (5) 15 Seconds
One unclued light is the name of a 15A activity requiring the 4A of three things. Answers to clues in italics must be treated before entry in the grid in such a way as to fulfil this requirement. Definitions of the resulting entries are supplied by the remaining unclued lights, one of which is hyphened.
Each unclued light is somehow related to a clued one. Elsewhere, ignore an acute accent. Across 4 Clone 33 recreating the Crocodile (11, two words) 11 Athlete taking Scottish miser to freemason’s son (9, two words) 13 Danger cut — touching heartless pedestrian (11) 14 Kiss nag (4) 15
The ten unclued lights consist of a theme word and three groups of three answers of a kind, each group relating differently to the theme word. Unchecked and cross-checking letters in these answers could make TAX AUDITOR APPROVE. Across 1 Cuttingly, John dissects fancy style (8) 10 Escape with loot is dicey in
Unclued lights (two of two words and one doing double duty), singly or paired, reveal some that are to be gone over, and two that famously did so. Ignore one accent and two apostrophes. Across 1 Paradoxical suit, a product of mine (13, two words) 9 Police once crashed into rumpus (7) 14
Two unclued lights describe the location of the others, individually or as a pair. One of these unclued lights does double duty. One square must contain a beetle showing possible alternatives to one of the unclued lights. Across 11 Tipsy grannie raking it in (7) 12 Skilling worker put sign outside (6,
Nine unclued lights each contain a different 20 from the same source. The title suggests a further such 20. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 1 First off clochards rummaged Mac’s valises (8) 8 Eastern sailing boat or ship in poem declaimed (4) 12 Carnal caper giving sensuous diversion (10, two words) 13 Buffaloes perhaps
Each of 31 clues comprises a definition and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter; the extras spell five words of a quotation in ODQ. The quotation’s next three words, identifying two groups, form an unclued light. Remaining clues are of the same type, but without extra letters in the jumbles;
The unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Across 1 Poet has overdose first (5) 6 More than one figure of speech is about Roman soldier (7) 11 Where to eat, relax and gossip once about god (10) 15 Note this colour for French artist (4) 16
The 19 of a great 1A of 6 and for the 1D occurred in 37 25 years ago this month. He was born in 21 and was a friend of 26 and an enemy of 41. Two clued lights together form his name and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 10
Each of nine clues contains a superfluous word. Initial letters of these words spell a word which can be read as an indicator of the unclued lights in each of four columns in the grid. Across 1 Position since gossip (5) 4 Quickest spy, holding power, passes time (9) 10
The unclued lights are of a specific kind. Additionally each is a legitimate inflected headword in Chambers. Elsewhere, ignore one acute accent and an apostrophe. Across 4 By the way, black weapon is a valuable curio (9, two words) 9 C.O.O.L.E.R. characters in the mail? (10, two words) 12 Types
The unclued lights are connected by 33/23. One pair of unclued lights gives one context, in which two further pairs of unclued lights are followers of 33/23; remaining unclued lights, in another sense, are 33/23’s predecessors. Across 1 Nasty offer about shock treatment for responsive organ (8) 8 Rubber — a lump’s returned (4) 11
The titles of four of an artist’s works (9,7; 6,6; 6,2,4; 12) read clockwise round the perimeter from a square to be deduced. In eleven clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal the artist’s name and the title of another work. Letters in corner squares and
Across unclued lights combine with down ones to form anagrams of the titles (one of two words) of four works by an author whose name (three words) will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and an accent. Across 4 Plant is beset by little light
Five clues consist of cryptic indications of partial answers; in each case, the indicated part must be treated thematically to create the full answer to be entered in the grid. Numbers in brackets refer to lengths of entries. Solvers need to 12 38 43 (a five-word phrase, in Chambers) in order to create each of
The unclued lights are of a specific kind. Across 11 Top flier backs help for sloth (6) 12 Birds on the barriers (5) 14 Mayfly larva on cobras, dead (5) 15 The head that’s characteristic of the Russian Church (5) 17 Lay claim to 32s somehow (6) 19
