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.
Clues lead to 5-letter solutions. Each set of ten clues is presented in alphabetical order of the solutions. Correct positioning in the grid of each set and the insertion of the appropriate letter in the central square will reveal six 11-letter words not otherwise clued. The 5-letter solutions to the four numbered clues are to be placed where indicated in the grid. Old settler’s fish Copying recording, but missing start Whisper on pop record’s principal song Play with tot – auntie’s first!
Unclued lights form a progressive set, plus the name of the speaker. Across 1 Talk shortly about present-day veg (7, two words) 6 Secure trim accessory (7, two words) 11 Harp on about poor child (6) 12 Sun already, so?
Nine unclued lights (all real words) are the names of 35A with one letter misprinted. The correct letters match those that will appear in the shaded squares. Across 13 Plastic strap on spade? (10, two words) 14 Truly no rector is transparent (5) 15 Eucharist united a victim in pieces (8) 17 Polish glossy (5) 18 Clue upset Pat (3) 19 Alloy in metal ring nothing squashes (7) 20 Colette’s husband takes against physicist (7) 21 Save nice moose after injury (9) 24 Last of these goods are mine (3) 29 Bird shuns rook in trouble (3) 37 US city scours Delaware for trendy anthem (7) 38 Sound personal trainer good lord engaged (7) 39 Aunt from Santiago?
The unclued lights are to be resolved into four (unrelated, non-thematic) phrases which share a common format.
Eight unclued lights, arranged symmetrically, comprise two quartets, one of which makes the other go round. Across 1 How much poor Matthew has aged (14, three words) 11 What’s got blowers regularly engaged?
Six unclued lights (all real words) are the names of 35/26 minus one letter. The missing letters match those that will appear in the shaded squares. Across 1 Take in fire shoe for small firefighter?
In this pangrammatical puzzle, the unclued lights are of a kind near 21A. Ignore all accents. Across 7 Fresh out of Pinewood (3) 11 Prisoner’s popular winning move (6) 13 Sympathy strike at the docks? (7) 15 All the monks in class (5) 17 Some reach a téléphérique in Alpine ski resort (6) 18 A harp playing for Restoration playwright Behn (5) 21 Old German graduate going round Qawra’s isle (5) 22 Rice dish with bit of thyme dropped in on one’s knee (7) 27 New investment in gold bonds is for older women (7) 29 Little girl encountered in rubber boots (5) 30 Works Scott composed out East (6) 32 Almost imperceptibly moves the lips (5) 34 Novelist on the shelf?
A 21-word exchange appears (apart from two words) in nine unclued entries. The other unclued entry specifies one of the participants. In ten clues the wordplay ignores one letter. These letters, in grid order, spell out the source of the exchange and of the original inspiration. Ignore three apostrophes in the completed puzzle.
Ten pairs of unclued lights give the names of people whose 89 was ‘50D/2A’ (six words in total). They include one 37, two singers, a prolific 34, a colourful writer, an outré TV star, an expert at ‘16/6/38’ (six words in total), a film producer, a mathematician who also watched ‘128/103/10’ (five words in total) and a 93A/79. Elsewhere, ignore two accents. Thirty-three special clues include a definition and a hidden letter mixture of the light.
