9 is now the home of the remaining unclued lights, individually or as a pair. Ignore all accents both in the grid and the clues. Brewer confirms the theme.
Across
1 Control diarist meant to arrange (12)
10 Manager’s department. Not half (4)
12 York’s situation around hospital, costing you nothing (10, three words)
14 Swallow departs regularly (3)
15 Document signed about borough’s business transaction (8)
24 Henry’s Queen returned dye (5)
26 Heroine from Jordan’s borders giving nothing to Colombian revolutionaries (9, three words)
27 Greater Manchester town’s no right for soup-pans (9)
29 Money writer gives to church (5)
31 Unwholesome air Americans object about (6)
38 Regularly, it is fairest for rulers (5)
39 Special copper following Savile, finally, during April shower (8)
40 see 32
41 I visit Etna, reviewing horoscopes (10)
42 Poverty neglected — heartless! (4)
43 Cinema show about joker, king and queen, say (12, two words)
Down
2 Points out scattered steading on borders of Easter Ross (10)
4 Rain god having no go, maybe (5)
5 Shavings from wee tools left around (9, two words)
6 Look in register and charge again (6)
7 Note that’s obtained from water or medicine? (5)
8 Some corsairs suddenly appeared up-country (4)
11 Monastic order from area around part of NY (8)
13 Hoping to drink Riesling, say, is majestic (12, hyphened)
16 Old type state nickname (3)
19 Headmaster and journalist with Bill? (6)
21 Not commented about drunk ameer (10)
23 Invalid transport causing a hitch in pub (9, two words)
25 Two amateurs, 32 and 40, drunk, cause disgust (8)
30 Bright square on a bed for 18? (6)
32&40 Newsgroups worldwide from the States, Spain, Norway and Egypt (6)
33 Binary code like 102 (5)
35 Successful candidate loses good suit (5)
37 Fish-soup yacht regularly provides (4)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 26 November. There are two runners-up prizes of £20 (or, for UK solvers, the latest edition of The Chambers Dictionary — ring the word ‘Dictionary’). Entries to: Crossword 2088, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
Comments