Crossword

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?

Ten unclued lights (including four pairs) are of a kind. Ignore two hyphens and an apostrophe. What could have induced this puzzle will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.

The unclued lights (one hyphened) are of a kind, confirmed in Chambers. Elsewhere, ignore one accent.   Across 1 I returned with note and wave to Bletchley Park expert (11, hyphened) 11 Tried and kept in control in the past (6, three words) 13 Goes off for a while (7) 16 Women’s painting first seen returning by tube (5) 17 Ask individual hence (6) 18 Colonel Lyndhurst’s bird (5) 20 Amateur left, watching train (6) 21 Like a judge with tattered robes (5) 22 Excited, once, in river, surrounded by upland (7) 29 Stretch or bird!

Clockwise round the peri-meter go two lines of a topical verse, thirteen words altogether. (The barred off square divides the lines.) The other unclued lights are some possible collectors’ items.

Six unclued lights are the names of traditional English county towns with one letter misprinted so as to form new words. The correct letters could give 26, examples of which are 1A, 17 and 22A. Across 7 Sound of kitten in hiding-place (3) 11 Mechanical playwright heard E strings (6) 13 Aberdonian angler with chatter about fish (7, hyphened) 15 Short course is wanting (5) 16 Ruby gutted a grouse (5) 18 River one’s learning about (5) 23 Parrot flying round English magistrate (7) 30 Slack student (no saint) began to play (5) 31 Left out courtesan returned and showered vigorously (6) 33 Lighter plough (5) 35 Rainy?

The unclued lights (two of two words) are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer.   Across 4 High-handed relation in discussion first (11)11 This amphibian would need Marvel to make vanilla ice cream (9)12 Auxiliary doctor taking pulse (5)14 Ancient Glaswegian notice covering centre of Mull (4)15/38 Office facility managed 25C (6, two components)19 Nothing wrong, honest – it’s just a unique attempt (7, hyphened)22 Suddenly books one Routemaster, say, back (6)23 Small house and comfy home. No kidding!

7 Down has wordplay to only half its grid entry. The undefined part is the first word of a 9-word description, in ODQ. Ignore all hyphens. The unclued lights can be arranged to form the full description.   Across 1 Good over – nearly more than one, in truth (6) 7 Strain to keep daughter in plaits once (6) 11 Studied alternative for second endorsement (10) 13 Dickens was upset (5) 14 Delicate but not frequently moving supply (5) 15 Ultimately explosive danger, if it goes off?

Each solution contains one letter at least once, always omitted in the cryptic wordplay of each clue. This letter and its number of appearances in the completed grid mark this week’s landmark. Two solutions are hyphened, five of two words and one of three. The red squares disclose Doc’s family celebration on 3 April.

The unclued lights, including three proper nouns (two of two words), consist of three groups of three words of a kind. Together, the three groups suggest a title; the author (seven letters) must be highlighted in the completed grid. Brewer confirms the thematic elements not in Chambers.

The unclued lights are all non-words, but each can be resolved into a pair of thematic solutions.