Crossword solution

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 WASH MIRED IN WHITE BLANKET   The first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the new Chambers Crossword Completer go to the following. The first four winners will also receive a bottle of champagne.   First prize Mr J. Frankland, Milnthorpe, Cumbria   Runners-up Martin Dey, Hoylandswaine, S. Yorks; Roger King, Twickenham, Middlesex; N.H.

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.

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.

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, Middlesex Runners-up P.L.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The unclued lights are CONDUCTORS (SARGENT is an anagram of the title STRANGE).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Layer Marney, Essex; R.J.