Crossword

2160: 18 Down

Six unclued lights are 18 Down from the same source (five are entitled to appear; the sixth appears regularly). Six cells initially contain between two and six clashing letters; these must be resolved to display thematic 18. Elsewhere, ignore three accents and two apostrophes.   Across   10    A Republican politician maintains British dealt

2159: Wine, Woman and Song

Nine unclued lights are linked in three different ways (three lights to each) to a tenth, which solvers should highlight. All may be verified in Chambers.   Across   5    Wet month unproductive (6) 10    In the open, fish got cleverly hidden (10, three words) 12    Atom bombs are nuclear without exception (6, three words)

2158: Late bloomers

The unclued lights (33 with I) are of a kind, all verifiable in Chambers under the appropriate headword.   Across   1    Chief director takes one look at the league (13, two words) 8    Very best note on new piano (7) 10    1 and 10 down. Confused? I’m off! (7) 15   

2157: Song X

Round the perimeter clockwise from 1 run six lights of a kind (7,9,10,9,9,8): if the grid were a 13/12, they might collectively suggest the title of a song famously 22 19 years ago. Corner letters are held in STRONG REGARD. A relevant name (5) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere,

2156: Shoreline

Seven items of a kind read clockwise round the perimeter. In ten clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal a definition of the perimeter items. Letters in corner squares and those adjacent to them could form WADERS, NOT OLD.   Across   11    Spirit and

2155: Poor Billy’s left out

The unclued lights (two must be paired) are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer.   Across 10   Details from Britain forged (4) 12   Colour of monster coming to grips with awfully vile demise, almost (10, two words) 14   Mother isn’t me or her, we’re told (3) 15   Offering a sleep before dance (8) 17   Trousers covering

2154: Clickety click

This puzzle marks the 40 of a 33 29. 16A, 24 and 1D (four words) are three of his works. 7 (hyphened) and 22A combine to give an anagram of the 29’s name (hyphened).   Across 1 Dawkins & co engaged in jobs (8) 6 We possess drugs Dutch proscribed (6) 11 Plants ruin York

2153: Selling

Each of thirteen clues contains one misprinted letter in the definition part. Corrections of misprints spell a phrase involving a pair of items. Unclued Across lights are examples of one of these items, and unclued Down lights are examples of the other. Ignore an apostrophe in a clued light.   Across   1 Crease in

2152: T20 – it’s just not cricket!

The unclued lights (and 4 Down + N) are of a kind and along with the suggestion given by the title, they indicate how all the solutions (clued and unclued) have to be adapted before being entered into the grid. Ignore two accents and one apostrophe.   Across   6    Carillon playing opening arrangement

2151: Sources

Three theme words which must be deduced each suggest three unclued lights (including one of two words and ignoring one definite article). The word which connects the three theme words must be highlighted in the completed grid. Unchecked and cross-checking letters in all unclued lights could spell: KOREANS CAN SOON LEARN.   Across   1   

2150: Content

Each of thirteen clues contains a superfluous word. Initial letters of these words spell the first four words of a quotation (in ODQ), the rest of which is supplied by two unclued lights (one of which consists of two words); another unclued light is the author’s surname. Clues in italics consist of cryptic indications of

2149: Super!

Each of the unclued lights (one of two words and one of three) can be preceded by the same word which solvers must state when submitting their entry. All resulting phrases are verifiable in Brewer 19th edition.   Across   1 Detached from musical backed by censor (8) 6 Thoroughfares more important than Norfolk waterways,

2148: Eighth of February

Unclued lights (including two of two words and an accent to be ignored) can be expressed in such a way as to form a thematic set. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.   Across   1    Solitary criminal canned opium (11) 11    Vintage malt liquor needing special can in perfect condition (6) 13    Dramatist from Italy a

2147: Amazing performance

Each of the 22 across solutions, in clue order, contributes one unchecked letter to a two-word phrase (13,9) in Chambers 2011. This dictionary entry will enable solvers to highlight a potential victim (9,7) by (again) choosing some of the unchecked letters from fifteen across entries in the order they appear in the grid. The nine

2146: 4 ÷ 4 = 8

The unclued four-letter words can be paired in a particular way to form the remaining unclued lights (one of two words).   Across   5    Be in contact with a jock’s love-in (6) 10    Isolation of actors Chaney and Wallach by headland (10) 12    Scar on saint is something of a problem

2145: Two in a row

Unclued lights form four thematic pairs, one of which combines to form a single word.   Across   1    Working prophets allege they carry cables (14, two words) 10    Reptile in summer (5) 11    Jacket of lass in Alaska (6) 12    Problem in thatching started again (7) 16    Bones to bury beside ray-flowers (10) 20   

2144: Leonids

1D is the title of a work minus a word that is suggested by three further unclued lights. Other unclued lights include the person to whom the word refers, who is addressed in the work as ‘9’ (three words, one hyphened), and the addresser and his servant, both of whom are in disguise.   Across

2143: Revising geography

The unclued lights are broadly of a kind (33 differs from the others, though 33K would have been more appropriate, if it fitted in!). Each one Across can somehow be paired with a Down one. Elsewhere, ignore one accent.   Across   4    Reacting slowly, having felled lime-tree with ease, almost (11, hyphened) 11

Cold Comfort | 12 December 2013

Five Christmas carols (5, 6, 5, 3 and 4 words respectively) have been re-arranged, and re-titled at 23/38 (4 words), 59/54/62D/5 (4 words), 87/12/74 (4 words), 20 (5 words) and 72/46A (3 words). A sixth carol (19 letters, 4 words) has been concealed in the grid under a new title (4 words), which must be

2142: Wintry

Each of seventeen clues comprises a definition part and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter. The extras spell a four-word excerpt from a quotation (in ODQ) from a translation of a work by 10 (two words).  Clues in italics consist of cryptic indications of partial answers; in each case, the