Crossword

Eight unclued lights spell out the second half of a poem: ‘8 (4,5) 37; 1D (6,4); 39 (3,6) 40; 10 (3,5,2) 24 25.’ The title cryptically suggests its author.

Six unclued lights (one of two words) are of a kind. The remaining three must be filled to display what connects the original six (13, two words). Across 12    Old Rodin bust covered? (6)13    Goal to mingle with rich ruler (8)14    Horns from my province (5)16    Reply from setter breaking lance (6)19    E.g. Macron’s cheek, it’s said (4)20    Complain over fabulist (4)22    I’m going to exercise round one tree (6)23    Knight with airs saves energy in verses (9)29    Isles always in Comoros’s borders (4)30    Nymph’s hot in green (4)32    Head bishop ignored? Not again!

The unclued Across lights were of a kind, as are the unclued Down lights now. All are verifiable in Brewer under 16. Across 4    Team go over to Irish monument (6,5)11    Train pass daughter’s lost (7)12    Delicate and light, keeping in time (6)13    Colluding with ancient tribe’s hilarious escapades (2,7)19    Band’s origin (7)21    Get together in time-share (4)23    Milky tea, call for change (7)25    Chatterbox not quiet – noisy type (7)32    1980s Austin model having some art form (7)34    Could be Dover – or not!

The nine individual unclued lights form three sets of three, each set related to a theme word in a different way. The theme word is hidden in the grid and should be highlighted. Across 5    Most appropriate page in a quiz (6)10    I’m praised for moving to retain university committee (10)12    Queen is taking a line to get tough (6)13    City that lies between Pakistan and Bulgaria (8)16    Bug is hanging on the wall (5)17    In recess, is earth to be put on dead sheep? (7)25    Bird’s leg bone stripped (3)26    In wood, cat chewed energy biscuit (7)28    One top player receiving kiss, no longer a man?

Seven unclued lights (all real words) are 36s minus one letter. A further 36 formed from the omitted letters will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded.

The unclued lights (one of two words, two singletons and four pairs) are of a kind in green. Across 1 Fair blood relation in awful surroundings hardly seen (4,7) 7 Equipment for Bell, Athey and Trescothick initially (3) 13 Light US railroad truck is a timeless barrow boy’s truck (7) 15 Head of Government in control when in office? (5) 16 Oil hostilities cut short by mufti’s decree (5) 17 Show criminal the cooler! (6) 18 Repaired snare and nets (5) 21 Crazy baby’s John (5) 22 Some problem (piracy) for Honduran currency (7) 27 Cryptically cast mimes (4,3) 29 Arcade piece is just for show (5) 32 Letters for the sextons’ rooms (5) 34 Criminal neologist? (6) 36 One on the case?

All the unclued lights can be followed by the same word. Elsewhere, ignore three accents. Across 12    Positive Belgian forward cutting in has chances (10)13    Nabs informer admitting pressure (6)18    Memorial to fish-keeper ignores a question about Frank? (9)19    Flap about a kid whose name maybe on TV? (9)20    This monster turns 22, nearly (4)21    Blade that’s regularly perplexed (4)27    In home, navy lamps may be so called (6)30    Boring experience providing inspiration for smoker (4)32    Ready reckoning when many are watching (5,4)34    Ordinary one I help to get drunk?

Five of a kind (including two of two words) can be derived from the letters of 26/27, 40/41, 46/47, 3/34 and 10/39 (all real words). 32/12D suggests mispronounced praise of the theme. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

To start off the New Year, the unclued lights (one of two words) share a common feature.

Two unclued lights are a title (three words) and its creator (two words). Remaining unclued lights are four names and eight titles (either singly or paired, including two each of two, three and four words and one of five words), each name being associated with two of the titles. The theme word connecting them all must be highlighted in the grid.         Across 11    Skill securing character hard food (5) 16    Bishop leaves drunkenly with flowing movement (6) 17    Gently affected superiority in card game (5) 19    Husband loves wrong clothes?

An anniversary (1A, three words) today offers ten unclued entries, all of whose unchecked and cross-checking letters spell out HAHA! DRY GINS ASSURING TRASHY ANAGRAMS. Across 9    State welcome hosted by Oscars (4)11    Stanza in excessive, unending Ave Maria delaying mass (6,4)12    Bash old boy, a grass (4)18    Pulling evenly, stripped part of a bone (5)20    Chap trouble is concerning trousers (7)21    Goddess harbouring worry about mistress (7)24    Hint of allspice lacking in sausage ragout (5)25    Reluctant Liberal associated with profanity (5)30    Grave talk about a collector of filth?

‘10/30’ (4,1,4,3,2,4) is the first line of a song whose tune, originally called ‘1D’ (6,2,1,5), was composed by a future 40D/2 and was often played by 39/6. The song’s title explains 34. The composer’s surname will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.

Five unclued Across lights are of a kind and are out of place as the five unclued Down lights.

3 28 40 1D 8 37. Two other unclued entries were involved. Ignore accents.

The unclued lights are three sets of three words of a kind, all linked by a theme word represented by one clued answer which must be highlighted.         Across    1    Where pupils are receiving gentle hugs (8)    8    Finished structure erected in triumph (4) 11    Goal to renovate new hotel figures in Levantine region (5,7) 12    Fulminating, bottling tree secretion (5) 16    Reversing truck, beginning to indicate in case (4) 18    Repeat welcoming son is flipping tender?

Around the perimeter starting at square 20 and reading clockwise are five themed solutions, ten words in total. The other unclued lights (four pairs) continue the theme, if 12 Across is pluralised. Ignore two apostrophes.         Across 11    Fiddle with jacket removed after a dip? (5) 13    Get rid of European visitor – that’s not socially acceptable (5) 14    Poor rating given to a dessert (7) 15    Revised a plan he got shaped like this (10) 20    Administers oath of office out of wariness (6,2) 23    Like some previous edition?

One unclued entry (three words) gives the theme, and five others give two-word names directly connected with it. Remaining unclued entries give two examples of the theme phrase, one of two words and one of three. Across 1 US underdogs willingly bring moggies under control?

The same word appears as eight headwords in Chambers. Unclued lights indicate what they mean. The word will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded.

The unclued lights (three of two words, one of which has an apostrophe) are of two kinds.

The unclued lights form five pairs, as suggested by the title. Across 6 Fashion blunted by useless needle (6) 10 Sister in action in a moving church feast (12) 13 Lily and Len backing boss (7) 16 Youth turns to another who’s idle (4) 17 Scarper from unstable ice-sheet (6,2) 21 Underclothes hang loosely? Twaddle (8) 23 Push in suggestion commonly vulgar (7) 25 Caledonian couple unwrapping software (3) 26 Being philosophical, making three points (3) 29 Goddess briefly so pink (8) 34 United to play this piece?