Crossword

Five unclued lights are descriptions of another (four words), from another, by another (two words). Elsewhere, ignore one accent.

11 Across (two words) suggests the other unclued lights, which are all one-word anagrams of words of a kind (one of two words).

The cryptic title of this week’s crossword leads to a five-letter representation of the theme. The unclued lights include two pairs; one solution has three words and six others are of two words.

Six unclued entries comprise systematically ordered non-words thematically linked by a normal entry, itself unclued.   Across 1 Awaiting consideration, poor hippie teen holding nothing back (2,3,8) 11 Most of back pain almost leaves (7) 12 Some over-50s right about Hindu music?

Clockwise round the grid from 7 run the names (8,5,3,3,8,3,8,7,7) of six members of a winning set, the other three members forming the unclued lights (including two of two words). Solvers must shade the two clued lights giving further relevant names. Across 8 Seaweed aged sheep gobbled (5) 9 One’s advanced banking system backing Eastern art (7) 10 Love of French poetry (3) 11 Spiritual father a pub ruined (4) 13 Plant right in marshland (4) 15 Porcelain lid in the White House? (5) 16 One thousand and eight lumps of sugar?

Reading clockwise around the perimeter are six theme words, in random order, one of which starts in square 38. The other two theme words are the unclued lights, one of which can be preceded by one normal solution which solvers should highlight.   Across 11 Limerick perhaps, shortened to make an impression (5) 12 Go to the front outside of Leatherhead (4) 13 Hurried, getting caught by Henry’s farm (5) 14 European gentleman concealed gaol-break (7) 15 With due respect to gun-dog – here’s the leader (4,6) 17 Kid is tense. Relax!

Unclued lights can be grouped into three triplets, each associated in a different sense with a keyword to be discovered, of which the title suggests a topical example   Across 7 Assembly line described by writer I don’t know (6) 12 Smaller flower is rarity, but gets propagated (9) 13 Dido laughed, admitting mistaken views (5) 15 Magic as hospital overcomes shortage (9, two words) 16 Buttress, stone, penetrated by Edmund (6) 20 Celebrate about weed doing farrier’s work (7) 21 Do a Chinese for Mormon perhaps (6) 24 Loose women once simpered stupidly (8) 26 One terrible noise echoing from nests (4) 27 One can’t write in this good book (3) 29 One studying Rabbit, Run (4) 32 With restrain.

Clockwise round the grid from a point to be determined run the names of four knights (2,5,5,5,5,8,5,3) followed by what they are (two words). A clued light tells how many 35 they have amassed between them, while a pair of unclued lights indicate a 17 linking all four.   Across 8 Wearing medal one accepted (5) 9 Estate in Albania attracting hatred (7) 10 Into toads? Wrong – I’m into dragonflies (9) 12 Gosh, old Oscar gains medal!

The unclued entries have something in common, and are the most recent of their type. One umlaut should be ignored in these entries, and elsewhere an accent.   Across 1 Perhaps not swinging is sordid (5) 4 I might get candy floss. Like some chocolate? (9, two words) 10 State with importance line interrupts fluency (10, two words) 11 Local watery path to utilise crossing island (6) 12 Recycled material for further education that’s fabulous (7) 14 Art cleaning the same estate (5) 15 Some anxiety managing roots (5) 16 Rowboat in trouble without this at first?

The unclued lights (one of two words) can be resolved into six pairs, in some way related. Ignore one acute accent.   Across 11 Doc’s assistant possibly giving camper aid (9) 12 Peaceful girl, alluring one, topless, at end of promenade (5) 14 Old tub’s revolving cover (4) 15 Gun, for instance, made from macrame. Not odd!

The unclued lights, including one of two words, are of a kind, all confirmed in Chambers. A further example (4) must be deleted from the final grid, leaving blank squares. New words thus created are real words.   Across 1 Get dry people keeping dry home (6) 11 Getting makeover helps, i.e.

The unclued lights (15 words in total) are to be arranged to provide a definition from Chambers of one of the normal clues which is NOT defined. Across 9 Worst of anything I kept in home (10) 14 Agreement apparently penniless lecturer returns (3) 16 Menus beginning with a cold collation – mostly spicy stuff (6) 17 Faulty parachute doesn’t open (5) 18 Dissident bishop in part of film (5) 20 Less heavy boat used in docks (7) 22 Various grebes, say, at end of lake (7) 25 Arab picked up the vernacular (5) 26 Drink in press release?

Eight unclued entries comprise four pairs whose thematic ordering is provided by 3, 31, 37 and 41.   Across 1 Deft, dry in denial (5) 6 Bitter unit – British back in charge (7) 11 Criminal or liar with cult having three cells (10) 13 Distress furniture suitable for oils?

Unclued lights (including two of two words) suggest nine words (all in Chambers) starting with the same four-letter word that will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.   Across 1 A grass posing as gulfweed (8) 5 Dip in swirling river (3) 13 Oxford college with pool and some land (7) 15 Refuse in Cornish river (5) 16 Goats from Croatia within Aussie island (5) 17 Lustred cloth pressed by a painter?

The unclued lights and eight clued without thematic definition are of a kind, expressly confirmed in a section of Chambers.   Across 4 Artisan on board, apparently (9) 9 Airline having to secure shopping accessory (10, two words) 11 Alton United seen regularly (5) 12 State loudly and close the innings (7) 14 It’s terrible about half of the lake having dried up (5) 15 Maintain he has left Michael in trouble (5) 16 Washes electronic instruments (6) 21 Waterproofs for artist in river up north (8) 22 Weeks at school in one or more stations (7) 24 Caesar’s for backing mine! (4) 25 Noted German out for fifty, opening (4) 27 Short sight?

Doc writes: This is Columba’s last puzzle for The Spectator which we are pleased to publish now, three years after he retired from the series. One unclued light is the surname of the author of a novel whose title (two words) is hidden in the grid. Each word of this title has two synonyms among the unclued lights. Two unclued lights are surnames of characters in the novel, one of which can be divided into two words, each being defined by an unclued light; the other name is defined by an unclued light, which constitutes an instruction to solvers on how to treat the concealed title.

Unclued lights are nine words taken from a poem whose first three words (as quoted in ODQ) will appear in the completed grid. The poet’s surname is a clued light and must be shaded. Surplus words in six clues are more words from the poem.

The (unrelated) unclued lights (one of three words, four of two words, (one with an apostrophe), one pair and two hyphened), can be arranged in ascending order with one appearing twice.   Across 4 Fire extinguisher reveals bone and shoe (11, two words) 11 Cross-country for Porterfield’s team (7) 13 Ken’s forte amending binders? (9, two words) 14 ‘There’s no commoner letter …’ (Macbeth) (5) 16 Party including one teetotaller once again (5) 23 Exhibitors in the rain? (7) 24 Czech, maybe, in square loo (4) 25 Feel less miserable given standing ovation?

43 (two words) created 1A (four words) and 3 10 14 (seven words). The latter inspired 17 30, whose work introduced the egregious 18. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 9 The first three letters of ‘skunk’ (4) 11 Duke ordering wild heroics (9, hyphened) 12 Beat wife and cover up (4) 15 Mark has no time for heart drug (5) 16 Satan, not dead, is this (4) 20 Something greasy my big cat’s brought back (7, two words) 21 One entitled to insist on touring boundaries of estate (7) 24 Engineers extra base for one railing (7) 25 Pity quiet soul (5) 26 One boring gold plate returned (5) 27 Element of stupid-sounding trick (7) 31 Green Knight painting rejected?

41 (four words) suggests the other unclued lights – which are individual examples (not group names) of a kind – and how they must be entered in the grid. All answers are in Chambers.