In ten clues, the wordplay omits one of the letters of the solution. These letters in the grid, read row by row, complete the missing two words of an 11-word quotation (in the ODQ) given by five unclued entries. The other unclued entries give the name of the speaker. If these same letters in the grid are read column by column, they give a relevant location.
Clockwise round the grid from 11 run three trios (8,4,6,5,9,3,5,8,4), each trio combining to suggest the same word. A trio of unclued lights combine to give a relevant activity (hyphened) and the remaining unclued light gives a relevant name verifiable in Brewer.
99 (five words) and 20 (four words), whose 37 were 61 (two words) and 35D (two words), are seasonal 53 featuring the 78 whose name is formed by two unclued lights. Two unclued lights (of two words each) are the names of the 78’s 68D. In nine clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal an item suggested by 99. Each of twelve Down clues consists of definitions of two words of different lengths. In seven cases the shorter word (produced when a letter 113 from the longer word) is the entry; in five cases the longer word (made by adding the appropriate letter to the shorter word) is the entry. Numbers in brackets refer to lengths of entries.
The unclued lights, as a singleton and four pairs with one unclued light doing double duty, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Two of the unclued lights are of three words, one including an abbreviation. All but one of the remaining unclued lights are of two words. Ignore two apostrophes. Across 10 Help for a newsreader reporting a traffic jam?
The unclued lights (ignore two apostrophes and an umlaut) are of a kind, as verified in Brewer.
In eight clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal a word that defines each of the unclued lights. Two unclued lights consist of two words each.
The unclued lights are of a kind. Ignore one grave accent. Across 1 Hails a picador, awfully exciting (13) 11 Difficult child had fun playing close to school (7) 12 Father has undone Turk’s head (5) 14 As You Like It — a piece of theatre by Shakespeare (6, two words) 16 Peg checks printer’s error in ‘Home on the Range’ (5) 17 Singer in the nude. Get her off!
Unclued lights are three groups of three words of a kind, each group relating differently to a theme word. This theme word appears in the grid (8 letters, reading across) translated into the appropriate language and must be highlighted. The unchecked and cross-checking letters in the nine theme words are DARN HANDSOMELY arranged.
Unclued lights consist of a quotation (in ODQ), its speaker and source, and a synonym (one hyphened) of each of its three words. Its author appears in the grid and must be shaded.
The unclued lights (one of two words, one of three and-another of four components) are of a kind. Chambers gives only a cognate of the solution at 7 Down.
Clockwise round the grid from 21 runs a timely quotation (9,5,3,5,2,7,3,11,5) (in ODQ) followed by the initials of its author, a 2/5. The source is 18/17. Across 8 Plump for some drinks and a sandwich (5) 9 Law-officer fills ditch for president (6) 10 Passé person knows Beatrix by name (7, hyphened) 12 Classy beaver possibly circling Beehive State (4) 14 Architect produces TV show (10) 15 Not one famous aviator, not one, develops mould (8, two words) 20 Black and gold date plant (6) 22 Piece of poetry in Pabulum’s book (4) 24 Nine bushels of dough or blubber?
Each of eleven clues comprises a definition part and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter; the extras spell a three-word phrase. Clues in italics consist of cryptic indications of partial answers; in each case, the indicated part must do as stated by the phrase to create the full answer to be entered in the grid. Definitions of resulting entries are supplied by the remaining unclued lights. Elsewhere, ignore three accents.
The unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Ignore one apostrophe. Across 1 Top for one dining in Cornwall? (7) 11 Rainy weather trapped everyone, in case (6) 12 Chosen the same, leaderless (7) 14 Old sweetheart at short race track (5) 16 Hang around. Look — it’s the Queen!
Four pairs of unclued lights suggest the constituent parts of a name (two words). Elsewhere, ignore three accents.
Across clues contain a definition and a jumble of the answer. In each row of the grid, a Shakespearean character is hiding, disguised by one letter. In one instance, the character does not occupy a whole entry — and in that instance the character is also hiding in the previous row. The disguises add up to a relevant occasion, and must be highlighted. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 1 Lear misread old poets (6) 7 Tybalt’s a rock (6) 12 Four men Diana dressed similarly (9) 13 Cordelia clipped hairs (5) 15 Elegiac Katherine decapitated (9) 16 Goneril hates meatloaf (6) 20 Autolycus, traditionally one associated with trifles?
Having solved the puzzle, solvers are required to highlight a 2x2 square which contains the four letters of the otherwise unclued theme word. This theme word can be paired with five of the unclued lights. The resulting pairs are then defined by the remaining five unclued lights (two of two words), all of which can be verified in Brewer. Across 9 Islands forming ring — possibly a nice area (7) 11 Tail of forsaken kangaroo was not once in cell (7) 12 Dictator arrests leader of army violently (5) 17 Mac’s own muslin.
Definitions in ten clues contain a misprint; corrections spell out a theme word. Unclued lights are four pairs of words of a kind, each relating to the theme word in a different way. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 11 Like some parasites? See ten in rotten tree house (12) 12 Statesman needs iron, regularly pale (5) 14 Flexible tenures for colony’s workers?
Seven words read clockwise round the perimeter, in alphabetical order. Each of eighteen clues contains a misprinted letter in the definition part. Corrections of misprints spell two words; the first defines six words in the perimeter, and the second defines the last word in the perimeter. Letters in corner squares and those adjacent to them could make OUR TREK MAGIC.
The perimeter squares yield six theme-words in order, though any one of them can come first. The remaining unclued lights (two individually and a pair) reveal three more theme words. Solvers are asked to highlight in the appropriate colour a final two-word theme-word hidden in two rows in the completed grid.
Clockwise round the perimeter from 3 run the titles of three items (1, 6, 3, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 1, 4, 3, 4, 5, 6, 3, 4) from the same source, the title of which is epitomised by the four unclued lights. Ignore two apostrophes. Across 8 Slowly cycling with a bouquet?
