Crossword

‘4D!/18A/3D!’ (four words in total) is a quotation from a tale by the author of 9D (three words). Remaining unclued lights give the names of the two protagonists of the tale and that of the 24A in which it was told.

The unclued lights, (when taken as an individual, three pairs and one trio), are of a kind, verifiable in Chambers (13th edition). Across 10    Father Gold froze thematically (4) 12    Awkward bra stealer can be nicked (10) 14    An indefinitely large number of alcaics – not odd!

Unclued lights (one of two words, the others paired) at length have something in common. Across 1 Faced bombs near end of life (7) 11    Museum spending pounds to acquire English works (6) 12    European body said to be a biblical tribe (7) 14    Losing sides destroy poetic inspiration (5) 15    First person on chimney reaching heavens (5) 16    Shrewd to hide roubles in crevice (6) 17    Mum unfortunately sent back spicy paste (6) 18    In which to deliver good wine?

Eight unclued solutions, including a pair, are of a kind. Across 11    Most excellent expert admitting: ‘Everyone can be beaten!’ (9) 12    Left centre of Kyoto for coastal city (5) 13    Game playing isn’t tenable (5,6) 14    My elderly grandma always danced the leads (4) 18    Dish of noodles King and I tucked into (7) 19    Recalled old letter about a minute charm (7) 23    Rowing over a piece of jewellery (6) 24    Dramatic hurricane masks sound of birds (5) 27    Turned up old brooch (5) 29    Famous sisters of Eleanor, possibly having lots of tea?

The unclued lights, one of two words, entered individually or as two pairs, are of a kind. Across 4 Media broadcast about 12 that’s cheap and practically useless (1,4,1,5) 11    Letters being sent to distant branch (7) 12    Medium range paintings (6) 13    Passing nurse in van (9) 14    Join princess having kiss (5) 21    Roman numeral from cross against heads of two icons (4) 23    Having abandoned shelter, Loch Ness Monster shocked army personnel (3-4) 24    A new version of Black Beauty?

Eight unclued entries include the names of an event and six who took part, and a memorial to one of them.

Eight unclued lights comprise four pairs. Across 1 Doubling my carbon in low country (7) 12    American sanctimonious state at the top (6) 13    Geological fold running nicely round north east of south (8) 15    Treatise outline includes pretentious odds and ends (8) 17    General Secretary holds back brief register on new retailers (12) 18    Ingesta, put another way?

The unclued lights can be arranged to grow from 3 to 11 letters in length, each being an anagram of its predecessor and an extra letter. Across 7    Equipment for Bell, Athey and Trescothick initially (3) 13    Male folk star’s alarming words (7) 15    Pipe valley running through Britain (5) 16    Reportedly remained stolid (5) 17    Middle of emails edited (6) 18    Nameless President has time on the loo (5) 20    Brainboxes managed to infiltrate spy agency (6) 21    Thorpe, terrified somewhat of safe-cracker (5) 22    Doddery, maybe, when dancing in Aviemore?

Five pairs of unclued lights are similarly linked. Across 12    Finally, favourite coastal town gets special treatment (3,6) 13    Seafront apartment housing readily available (2,3) 15    Conductor is in Costa in confusion (9) 16    Get comfortable in finest Levis! (6) 20    Shell-like gold relic smashed (7) 21    Could be made in reverse? (6) 22    Passionate time following Forest (6) 26    Openings of the best satirical poetry in little volume (4) 27    Pull to the left in Winnebago (3) 29    One of these?

‘31D’ is a line thrice uttered by the victim of ‘37A/34D/9D’ where his 14A grew. Remaining unclued lights give his name and how he was addressed by his son (two words) and the name of his son’s tragic friend.

21 solutions in the grid are represented as follows: A B C d H I K L m N O p r s t U v W X y z. They have to be fitted into the grid jigsaw-fashion. Across 12    German novelist from the Wiesbaden area (5) 14    Single within the boundaries of Headingley, dearie (5) 16    Moving into gear, I start (9) 17    Young ewe runs from two dozen (6) 21    Exercise wearing a piece of armour, but not fighting (2,5) 22    Groups of atoms in clue order  (6) 25    Devotee making an impression, taking that female in (8) 30    Article of faith explained (3) 34    Rocky situation?

The unclued lights can all follow the same word, which is hidden in the grid and should be shaded. (Two of the phrases take the definite article.) Across 1 Pack slung across river boat (5) 10    Trounce principal predator (10) 11    Cover plate at last with prawn salad (6) 12    Brother caught in evil turning saint (7) 14    French tuck into frog, all I cooked (6) 16    European medic overturned conventional standards (4) 17    Let oneself down, as muscles relax? (6) 22    Weaken worship, delaying verse (8) 25    Sleeps around the whole time (4) 26    Such a war returns beneficial result?

The unclued lights (including one pair) form three groups, each linked to thematic keywords in different ways. Across 3 With audit team, I’ve reassessed weariness of life (7,5) 10    French studio had remainer? (7) 13    Admitted Church pupil initially played outside (8) 16    Bait ram that is held inside (5) 18    Dutch island, an impediment to America (5) 22    Young boy lurking in Portadown (3) 24    Bits of Whitechapel ham salad sandwiches (7) 26    Detective force surround ‘Blinder’?

The unclued lights (one hyphened and one of two words) each bear a common feature.

Eight unclued lights (three of two words, including an abbreviation) comprise two ingredients, an instruction and its instructor, and the work in which they feature. The ODQ provides confirmation. Across 1 Terribly pale, Tacitus yields (11) 11    Exotic fruit and slice of smelly cheese (6) 15    Tea after endless day in Russian cottage (5) 16    Pub screening sport in lead-up to ski jump (5) 17    Collide with cycles, back end first (6) 18    Fur coats originally sold in Slavic city (5) 21    Element of flamenco, initially jaunty and light, eventually overwhelming (5) 22    Departed, leaving female unescorted?

Eight entries – only four of which comprise one word – possess titular properties.

The unclued lights (including six of two words and one of three words), individually, as pairs or as trios, are of a kind.

Unclued lights feature in the same entry in Brewer. Across 1    Worked at jobs making decorations for shirts (6) 7    Inkpad destroyed in crime (6) 12    I bite idly, puzzled whether or not something could be food (9) 13    Decorative form returns in piccolo voluntary (5) 16    Gauge very low returns internally (6) 20    Tax collectors dig over unfenced allotment (7) 21    Excess of bright lipstick, on reflection (6) 22    Taxes received for American banks (6) 26    Announced food measure (4) 29    Go and act!

Clockwise round the grid from the square between 6 and 7 runs a quotation which could have referred to the three unclued lights, and its source (7,2,3,3,5,3,3,7,4,3,2,5,5). Across 9 Top part is the place to go in ships (5) 10   Wild party girl cycling (4) 11   Ex-president twice cut back tropical plants (5) 12   Unbounded profusion bewildered lunatic (7) 13   Article on devilish debonair Michael Gove?

When paired the unclued lights, one hyphened and one French geographical name, and another which is a combination of 18 & 33, are somehow related. Across 1    Freight making vehicle move (5) 6    The architect’s malign intentions? (7) 13    Legal term about wills in US and Spain – late revision (4-5) 15    House-builders’ workplace isn’t pleasant to see, we’re told (4) 16    Belgian crime writer, if not in France, entertains me (7) 17    Strips and barely moves?