Crossword

Elements of four symmetrically disposed unclued lights confirm the 5 Down. Enumerations indicate lengths of clues’ ‘full’ solutions.   Across 1 People are pruning every European tree (6) 6 Cook cut gooey rock cake (7) 11 Bishop leaving foundation unaltered (4, two words) 12 Skywriting? (9, two words) 14 Radical Left holds back boy (5) 15 Distort lower grades by class (6) 16 One very leggy girl weed picked up (9) 19 Obtain unlimited happiness (6) 21 Senseless how love ends (5) 22 Baby’s back, bound for Glasgow (4) 24 Harbours shelled on a key date (6) 25 Return right away for departure (6) 31 Ditch outcome of good joke?

Clockwise round the grid from 20 runs a quotation minus one word (1,2,4,4,4,1,4,1,5,4,4,9) followed by an honest servant’s name. Unclued lights exemplify the missing word. The source of the quotation appears in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 9 Charlie neglected very famous philosopher (5) 10 Boxer a little below par offering excuse (5) 12 Note chap going round institute (5, doubly hyphened) 13 Plant extract in delicacy friend nibbled (7) 15 Singing seamstress active in coastal city (5) 16 Background with cloudy island RSC repaired (5) 18 Yobs in old footwear cycling (5) 21 Takeaway district in protectorate (8) 22 Last letter from Eddie?

The unclued Across lights are of a kind when preceded by one word, as are the unclued Down lights (one pair) when preceded by another. Brewer confirms them all.   Across 1 Pointless dissertations are more than this (5) 4 Breathing disorder altered my shape – and me! (9) 9 Companion dressed in fragrant black and white (10) 11 With openers of exceptional note, Surrey usually enforce follow on (5) 12 Time passed quickly, say – it’s sickening (7, two words) 14 Spare change – in Turkey, once?

The unclued lights (one hyphened) have nothing in common.

Unclued lights can be arranged so that, preceded by ‘What is’, they form a question whose answer solvers must shade. Ignore a hyphen.

The unclued lights, two of two words and the others as four pairs, are of a kind. Across 6 Rickety car – one cut off during July (6) 10 House-doctor, game to assist poor maintenance of biological conditions (12) 11 Ten expressions of 14 – just small amounts (5) 14 Appreciation from US actor (6) 17 Drafts of collages (8, hyphened) 21 Did a nose suffer from them? (8) 26 One gets caught in it!

One clued solution can precede each unclued light (four of two words and one of three), all to be found in Chambers, Brewer, songs or sayings.   Across 9 Come to as Polyphemus would do? (10, three words) 14 Queen perhaps delaying introduction of legislation (3) 16 Amongst others, some retaliate (6, two words) 20 Word for scars strangely metaphorical — no caret needed (7) 22 Head of college conceals article — makes a pile (7) 24 Hester, a remarkable lady (7) 26 Yours only houses a porcupine (5) 28 Work unit holds possible link with Black Forest menace (7, hyphened) 31 New rites to include completely sober musical pieces (7) 33 He cried — because he couldn’t find a snark?

11 Across (three words) is a phrase suggested by the puzzle’s title explaining how to arrive at the other unclued lights, which are anagrams of words of a kind, all confirmed in Chambers (including two less common spellings).

The unclued lights appeared at the start under the shaded squares reading row by row from top to bottom (two words). Across 5 Touring hotel, arrive at poor area (6) 10 Old driver will show support going about in revelry (10) 12 Resort with edge beside popular island (6) 16 Church collection on foot?

The nouns from the first sentence of a book (in the ODQ) appear as unclued lights — apart from two. One of these two is revealed by extracting one or two letters at a time from six normal solutions, leaving real words as entries. The other appears diagonally in the grid and must be highlighted. Two of these unclued lights also appear in the title of the book. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 1 Lark serving man truffles? (5) 4 Lothario excited almost all maidens (9, two words) 11 Suits altered with European woven fabric (6) 12 Sleep for moment in time, like Shakespeare’s night? (7) 14 Genus of flowers: Paul messed with it (6) 15 Case, ultimately small and sweet?

Unclued lights (including three of two words and two pairs) suggest various versions of a name given by a pair of successive clued lights which solvers must shade. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

Unclued lights (one of two words, the others paired) are of a kind.

Clockwise round the grid from 34 run the answers (6,6,5, 11,4,3,7,4) (one hyphened) to eight riddles followed by the riddler’s name. Two pairs of unclued lights give the name of the riddler’s brother and the nature of the riddler. Shaded squares will give the letters of a relevant name. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

The 12 unclued lights (one of two words) are somehow paired and one solution in each pair is of a kind with the five others.   Across 12 Prizes at dance which Desperate Dan patronises? (7, hyphened) 14 Fancy notepaper? (5) 15 Fish and cheese sauce, not new (5) 16 Stay out of bed with Christmas singer at university (6, two words) 17 Top chess player in compound (6) 24 With various actors, Ginger shared the lead (9) 29 Island garden with a cuckoo (7) 32 Appreciation from US actor? (6) 33 Secretary general of UN that flourished (6, two components) 35 Surpass and exit? (5) 36 Stop will be in France before one (5) 37 Thwarting swordsmanship?

Twelve symmetrically disposed unclued entries comprise three distinct interlinked quartets.

A six-word ‘current description’ (in ODQ) and the name of the author (three words) run clockwise round the perimeter starting in the top left-hand corner. Four other unclued lights are of a kind, and solvers must highlight the one suggested by the quotation.   Across 11 Deposit with variable returns for figure (4) 12 Silly money to pen note (6) 15 Might they strip down parole?

The unclued lights, (one pair, one hyphened and one of two words) are of a kind. One clue leads to a number. Across 10 Alpine skier initially taking exercise by Norway’s top ski-resort (5) 11 Bowler in Anglo-French waters (6) 12 Most of the month witnesses are heard. That’s novel! (7) 16 Capital oil change in neutral (10) 17 Scots have broken amulet with little hooks (8) 20 Call round for drummer (5) 21 Shouts as ogre’s cuddling Doc?

The unclued lights (one of four words) are legendary. Across 9 Broadcast live in Torbay possibly to no avail (10) 14 Mark said to be a jerk (3) 16 Marvin Gaye’s ‘Healing’ depends on chromosomes (6) 17 Person I’m addressing, with most of the next generation (5) 18 Man died on beach, once (5) 22 United around military leader and single-minded (7) 24 Composer set up a German school in London with new head (7) 25 Fairy that dished the team? (5) 26 Non-eco tyros providing points of a dilemma (5) 28 Funny posts at work?