Crossword

2244: Faithful

The unclued lights, one of two words, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer.   Across   1    After the outskirts of Barnsley, overtake on road round town (6) 7    Series for bikers? (6) 13    Regularly burn options and release (5) 14    Like a Peruvian, having completed filming?

Christmas crossword: The winners | 14 January 2016

The first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Dictionary of Great Quotations (2015) go to the following. The first four prizewinners also each receive a bottle of champagne. First prize Andrew Dymond, London SE24 Runners-up Mrs P. Bealby, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland; David Norwood, Puddletown, Dorset; Roderick Burgess, Cantsfield, Carnforth Additional runners-up Jacqui Sohn, Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk; F.A.

2243: Obit III

Last year we lost a popular 39 of stage and screen. 18A/16 (four words in total) and 10/18A/15 (five words in total) are titles linked with the 39. 25 is the name16, while the remaining unclued lights give the name of the 39. A closely linked name (two words) will appear diagonally in the grid and must be shaded.

2242: Defeated

Clues in italics are cryptic indications of partial answers. In each case, the indicated part must be 5 39 (five words in all) to create the full answer to be entered in the grid. Definitions of the resulting entries are supplied by unclued lights.   Across   1    Film second struggle (5) 6    Riding from base left by soldier? (8) 12    Proclaim payment, engaging former top spies (10) 13    New advance in enlightened state with ace hospitals (9) 14    Turkey acceptable in marketplace (4) 15    Heather in nunnery missing energy of office work (8) 16    Gold, ounce in firm palm (6) 17    Bearded knight seized by dread deserted (5) 21    Turning saucy, are people boring?

2241: Customary

The unclued lights, (two of two words), individually or as two pairs, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer 19th edition. Elsewhere, ignore one accent.   Across   11 Jersey, perhaps, one’s left with (6) 12 Bangers for men like Ben Gunn (7) 14 Poor Ben repressing shout of joy for girl shedding tears (5) 15 Donne is out facing a side that’s short (5, two words) 16 Unusual countdown — not out — an endless milk supply?

The works

Along the top and bottom rows of the grid runs a seasonal quotation of 11 words. 81 clues contain a superfluous word; the initial letters of these words in clue order spell out another seasonal quotation of 21 words; ignore the apostrophe. Other unclued lights (five of two words, one of three), singly or linked, give the surnames of the two authors, the works from which the quotations come, and titles of six other works by each author. Any initial ‘The’ in titles is in all cases omitted. The final unclued light is the name of a work not by, but based on, one of the authors, and should be highlighted.

2240: Various sources

In each of eight clues, one letter has been cut from the definition part; the cut letters spell a word that defines each of four unclued lights. In each of five clues, one letter has been added to the definition part; the added letters spell a word that defines each of four unclued lights. The words spelt by the cut and added letters, when linked by 17, form a doubly hyphened term whose definition in Chambers includes the puzzle’s title. One unclued light consists of two words.

2239: ITOIX

The unclued lights (all of two or three words, some hyphened and all confirmed in Chambers) can be arranged into a consecutive sequence. Each light includes a different word which has to be represented in just one unchecked square. Across 4 General beginning to network as a gamble whenever in charge (11, hyphened) 11 Very keen on plan outside platform (7) 13 Vehicle in France is a decrepit crate (9, two words) 14 Symbols of a Stoic philosophical principle (5) 19 Relative crushes (7, two words) 21 First half of game in one’s own home (4) 23 Rouses, getting active by noon during Northern holiday (7) 24 Queen’s French degree (4) 25 Food for cattle – almost kilo each, roughly (7, hyphened) 30 Peevish about truffle (7) 31 Spoke – on the phone?

2238: Old issues

The title suggests a pair of unclued lights which identify the common feature of the others. Solvers must shade the pair. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.

2237: Experimental

One unclued light is a publication (two words). The others are relevant figures (all in Chambers) who appear in a form suggested by the publication’s title.

2236: Alphabetical jigsaw

This week’s puzzle breaks away from the traditional thematic puzzle. Instead, here is an alphabetical jigsaw for solvers to tackle. Clues are presented in strict alphabetical order of their solutions which begin with the letters indicated from A through to Z. Solvers have to assign each solution to its correct place in the grid.   A He discriminates about spirit (6) A Embryonic formation developed Naomi (5) B Telephoned by a criminal — that’s unacceptable (13, three words) C Professional in Eire after trouble with work unit (10, two words) C One Q stamp (4) C Two left in front of stagecoach (6) D Satisfaction from starting Doc’s enigmatic clue (7) E Give support to Cockney’s losing nag?

2235: Vile stuff

1/44 (eight words in total) is part of a question (in ODQ) minus a word exemplified by the other unclued lights (one hyphened). The title suggests a further example (eight letters) which will appear diagonally in the grid and must be shaded.

2234: A greater measure

One unclued light is the name of a drink which can be measured into three ingredients. Each ingredient has three definitions among the other unclued lights; unchecked letters of the nine lights in question are supplied by the puzzle’s title. Across 1 Changing tack, see, I perform on rink? (8, hyphened) 8 Total power in reservoir (4) 12 Contemptuous expression in silence covered by hand (5) 14 Commend arrangement of test run (7) 16 Corridor without a key?

2232: Ups and downs

The unclued lights, in one case paired, are all suggested by a thematic phrase (two words), which is set out in an appropriate form in the grid and must be highlighted. Across 1 Brass and slate vessel (8) 6 Really humid round townships (6) 10 Ham cast chose plays — they cause discomfort (12) 12 Society cuts old displays (5) 13 Ape-like evangelical with outstanding pledges (7) 15 Beer and staple food one leaves in wood (6) 17 No gin in a sozzled artist (8) 20 Picture takers like river in Iceland (8) 22 Draw close, at first, in nocturnal habit (7) 24 See cuckoos and dogs (5) 26 Overcook, taking week to act like Ramsay?

2231: On the side

Unclued lights (three of two words; ignore one apostrophe) may be grouped to form a related triad.   Across   1    Old wife to claim freebie from party (8, two words) 5    Arrest of secret police (6) 11    King’s job reduced: that hurt part of the fleet (10) 16    From lack of energy Roman general loses a navy (5) 17    Cudgels seen abandoned on mountain (7) 20    Special toy for child with which to paint (8) 25    From poet, a conceit for 28 Feb?

2230: Lot 46

The unclued lights, five of which are correctly numbered, are of a kind. Ignore one accent. Chambers does not include the solution at 29D.

2229: Gnome

The third letters of extra words in two dozen clues spell out a 35 (in ODQ 7&8), associated with the 19 31, which explains the remaining unclued lights (all different real words), one of which is the cause of the others and must be shaded.

2228: Unfair

One unclued light (ignore its umlaut) is the home of a team known by a name which is another unclued light. This name is also given to a group of 13 28; four related members (one hyphened) are the other unclued lights. Each of ten clues contains a misprinted letter in the definition part; corrections of misprints spell a two-word description of the team’s game, accounting for the absence of one of the best-known 13 28 from the grid.

2227: Word building

The unclued lights (one of two words and another hyphened) can be arranged to form a word pyramid of 3 to 11 letters, adding one letter and making an anagram step by step.   Across   11    Demands performances from the past?