10 5/9/34/30D/7/35/4/1D is a poem quoted in full in ODQ. The author’s surname (and indeed first name) appears at 26. Across 1 Portable furniture affected county (8, hyphened) 8 It’s only fair (4) 12 Get ready to improve shepherd’s delight left in champagne? (10) 13 Some twin sisters are demanding (6) 14 Book wrapping was double Scotch? (7) 15 Chemical engineer rejects classical dry measures (8) 18 Awfully insecure time for those lacking control?
The unclued lights, when paired, are of a kind, the first word in each pair being thematic. Two of the unclued lights, one of which is plural, do double duty. One pair has a literary reference, too. Across 5 Cross as a sign (6) 10 I left millionaire mixing petroleum distillate (10, two words) 16 What may be caught with a rod — a rod (5) 17 Strips, rubs gently and beats (7) 18 Pipe second carol outside Kings (7) 20 Those assailing verbally about to take on loathsome heartless rebels (8) 25 Just a bit of cement added (3) 26 Run faster than dismissal speed?
6A and 42 (whose unchecked letters give IDEA) combine to suggest the title of a novel. Remaining unclued lights give the forenames (in one case a nickname) of six of its characters, whose surname (5) will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore two accents. Across 1 Interceder tried maxi getting dressed (9) 9 Sloth-like nursemaids?
Five unclued lights are titles of works by a person whose name is formed by two unclued lights. Three clues are definitions only; their answers exhibit all the unchecked letters of the titles. One unclued light consists of three words, and one consists of two words. Across 1 Action in public at an end (8) 9 Fan-shaped tag left among lot (10) 16 Tawdry stuff in petition for monument?
The unclued lights are of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore one apostrophe.
Clockwise round the grid run six of a kind (one of three words and one three-word pair). Other unclued lights show where you might find others of their kind. Unchecked corner letters could give PLAY-DEN PLANK.
Each of twenty-one clues comprises a definition part and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter. The extras spell a definition (two words, one hyphened) of two titles clued without definition and six (three of which consist of two words each) reading clockwise round the perimeter. Letters in corner squares and those adjacent to them could make EIGHT, SO FUNNY.
Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions. The solutions have then to be fitted into the grid, jigsaw-fashion.
A pair of unclued lights (three words in total) give an event. Remaining unclued lights, including a pair (three words in total), each bring to mind the same relevant word in one of three different ways.
One unclued light, defined by the title, is a word that can be divided into three words; each of these defines each of three of the other unclued lights. Across 1 Unsteady in yard, thrust backward (5) 10 Mixture of metals in roof really worked (10, hyphened) 14 Check sun and tide (5) 15 Terms of reference put back (5) 16 Repeated eccentricity suppressed with removal of king (6) 22 Direction to release soft pedal set down in note (8, two words) 23 Denial?
The unclued Across lights become thematic when a suffix is appended. The individual unclued Down lights (one a proper noun) also become thematic when a different suffix is appended; 1 Down consists of three further words which individually become thematic in the same way as the unclued Down ones do. The unchecked letters of all these unclued lights reveal HADDOCKS’ HERB GARDEN LTD. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.
Unclued lights are words from a famous poem whose title will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
One unclued light (four words) is the title of a 40 recorded by 43 (two words). This title forms a cryptic indication of one unclued light, which defines each of the other unclued lights.
Seven clues contain a redundant word, each defining one unclued light. These seven unclued lights all undergo partial 1 across (in Collins) before entry, in a consistent manner. Resulting grid entries are not real words.
Seven unclued entries are all examples of the other. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
The unclued four-letter words can be paired in a particular way to form the remaining unclued lights, one of two words. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.
In ten clues the wordplay leads to the answer plus one extra letter. These letters in clue order give a name (two words) to which are questionably attributed the unclued lights (in Brewer), which make three phrases: one of six words, one of three, one of four (thematically five?). Across 4 See me in especial trouble, not all at once (9) 10 Confused playwright about to get between the sheets (10) 11 One stranded, pot appearing empty (6) 12 ‘With band in hair’ — poem in neat Scottish (7) 14 From Lincoln, obtain produce (5) 15 Pope is to agitate, forgetting Latin (5) 16 Off course? Just like carrier!
Two unclued lights form the title by which a 38 32 is commonly known. This title’s first word defines one unclued light, and can also be divided into two words, each of which is defined by an unclued light. The title’s second word defines each of the remaining three unclued lights. Ignore one diacritic in an unclued light and one in a clued light.
The unclued lights, (two of two words), are of a kind. Chambers does not give the solution at 12 Across. So as to avoid alternative thematic solutions at 28A, solvers should know that the first letter is the same as the final one. Across 2 Amblers won’t be adapting military item (13, three words) 12 Reported as irresponsible piano disposal (6, two words) 14 Cure for one at sea (4) 15 Yearn to get control of free shot in hockey (10, two words) 16 Tenements holding ordinary footlights (6) 18 Sayings of one involved in gaol-break (5) 19 Type setter and mason’s assistant?
