In eight clues, cryptic -indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal two words. Two unclued lights are definitions of the first word; the second word defines each of six unclued lights.
All but one of the unclued lights can be preceded by the same word, large or small. Solvers are requested to highlight the other thematic solution which does not follow this pattern. Brewer confirms the theme. Across 3 Acrylic pot he refashioned in copper and iron compound (12) 11 33 returning after the usual time (4) 12 Accountant’s car by hill (7) 16 Educated, but lacking a CD for reviewing piece of music (5) 18 Not much life in a cell?
Seven unclued lights (all real words) are names of 22 (hyphened) minus one letter. The missing letters give GROWN-UP. Across 4 Game Charlie (athletic chap with a heart problem) (9) 10 Pro shinned nastily getting painkillers (10) 11 Rosy Lee and fellow almost dance (6, hyphened) 12 Secure university members axed watchman (7, two words) 14 Toast and honey?
Answers to clues in italics are to be subjected, before entry in the grid, to the treatment indicated by one unclued light (three words). Definitions of the resulting entries are supplied by the other unclued lights.
The unclued lights (two of two words) are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer among other reference books. Elsewhere, ignore one grave accent.
One of the unclued entries (two words) defines the others (two of which are hyphened), which are all real words. Collins, not Chambers, confirms 23D. Ignore one accent in the unclued entries and another elsewhere. Across 1 Clergymen demolishing a church helping its loss of status (14) 9 See missing competitor getting ready for Gulf states?
Around the perimeter starting at one corner run two lines of a verse (ten words). Two unclued lights give the name of the author (in her formal style); other unclued lights give one association with each of the adjectives in the quotation. Across 10 Smile conceals a natural character (5) 11 Eastern exercise in goodness is vain (5) 14 Clever Scots start to get on (4) 15 I left flying Gulf Air, not rich (6) 17 A few lines, and three more, including English correspondence (8) 20 Growing attached, is less easy at first to dislodge (7) 22 Old jingle about this ruler (4) 24 A conquest of Zeus?
The unclued Across lights (two of two words) are of a kind, as are the unclued Down ones, all verifiable in Brewer 19th edition.
Six unclued lights, the sixth spelt in its original way, are members of a team proclaimed dramatically at a venue given by the remaining pair. The proclaimer and team leader appears diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 1 Minister and unknown independent in conflict (5) 9 Eyelid injured fixing jerk’s wheel (10, two words) 11 God cardinal had cheered (5) 14 Treacherous Scots not wearing blue (5) 15 Fine leapers must clear tops of houses (5) 16 Stick in this place east of Hoosier State (6) 21 Being from Iceland with mobile home?
Each of twelve clues contains a misprinted letter in the definition part. Corrections of misprints spell a four-word phrase forming an indication of the unclued lights in each of four columns in the grid. Ignore an accent in one unclued light.
The unclued Across lights are of one linguistic kind and the unclued Down lights are of another, all of which solvers must figure out. Across 1 Busy person squeezing scab on carpet (6) 7 Cilla’s out gathering what Novello suggested (6) 12 Ends of the line abolished at privatisation? (9) 13 Come down from window (5) 15 Club official, more confident following adjustment of rate (9) 16 Persistent seabird seen during mid-week (6) 20 Threatening youths broadcast ‘Which of you gets the chop?
Six unclued lights are examples of ‘3/4/18’ (four words in total, ignore an apostrophe), a quotation (in ODQ) whose author’s surname (7) will appear diagonally in the grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
One clue lacks a definition part; its answer is a film title. One unclued light (three words) is the title of a song in the film, and one unclued light (two words) is the name of its singer. The first word of the song’s title defines three unclued lights, and its third word defines three unclued lights. Ignore an accent in one unclued light.
The unclued lights (one of two words) can be preceded by the same word which is hidden in the completed grid. Solvers must highlight this word appropriately. All resulting phrases are verifiable in Brewer. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 1 Ought to be quiet when dreadfully loud (6) 7 Elysian areas of knowledge? (6) 12 Board for one in mental hospital? (9) 15 Governor’s gun brought back by a hill (9) 16 War god with worker bully (6) 20 Porridge making good man throw up (7) 21 Could be guaranteed this is treeless country?
Clues are listed in alphabetical order of their solutions. An 11-word quotation runs around the perimeter from the top left-hand corner. Four thematic clued answers need highlighting, as does a thematic name (7) in the completed grid. Not looking well, with a scar and spasm?
An excerpt from a poem (-eleven words, one hyphened, in ODQ) reads clockwise in the perimeter from the top left corner. Each of four clues contains a superfluous word; these words combine to give the poet’s name. The poem’s title, which is concealed in the grid and must be highlighted, indicates the action required to create each of three unclued lights, and 18 plus 24. All these lights are words in Chambers; one is doubly hyphened. Letters in corner squares and those adjacent to them could give POWER I HEAT UP. Across 10 Struggles, holding weak opinions (5) 12 Theory of earth’s formation, terribly foggy one, lacking force (7) 14 Crazy?
The unclued lights (three of two words), individually or paired, are of a kind, with 1 Down as a plural. Two of these unclued lights do double duty to reach the number indicated in the title. Ignore one apostrophe and, elsewhere, an acute accent. Chambers does not confirm 25A. Across 1 What a professional soldier might expect to earn?
Four unclued lights (eight words in all) form a phrase describing an activity.
Answers to clues in italics must become 15 (hyphened) to create grid entries. Definitions of these entries are supplied by unclued lights, one of which consists of two words. Elsewhere ignore two accents. Across 1 Convince court without question, wearing dark blue (8) 11 Endless praise in resort prepared for sharks (12) 14 Melodies soprano practises (7) 17 Quarrels providing force in manuscript (5) 18 Bullfighter rushed right round (6) 22 Passage about heartless prison camp in speech (8) 23 Horse we trained in whatever place?
One ‘unclued’ light, as the title suggests, can be paired (on one occasion twice) with each of the other unclued lights, (one of two words), all verifiable in Brewer. Alphabetical order takes priority in the unclued solution at 36A.
