Crossword

2167: Groupies

The unclued lights are of a kind and are listed together in Chambers 2011. Solvers should highlight two normally clued solutions which together form another theme-word.   Across   1    Ties series of games with instrumentalists (11, two words) 7    Small county’s struggle (3) 11    Clog has lost its tip – repaired clog (6) 16    Young lad from Nantwich, rising (5) 17    Number one difficulty in the Big Apple (6) 18    Old count makes school on time (5) 20    Dazed state from formal protest?

2166: Somewhere X

Somewhere next to 34 and 12, 33 is 25, the highest mountain is 1D (two words), and the principal 3 and 39 are alongside each other in 19. Solvers must shade the clued light that is an anagram of the place’s name. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.   Across   1    Jittery Jonah hides Sonia and Sam’s stuff (11) 7    Writer of humourless English (3) 11    Plastic covering most of spout in extractor (6) 13    State name applied to murdered sheep-master (retired) (7) 15    Poet takes drug — Charlie?

2165: Not far off

According to a quotation (in ODQ) by a person whose surname is an unclued light, an area of five letters is 10 13 37 given a certain condition. Each of eleven clues comprises a definition and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter; each of ten clues is of the same type, but includes two extra letters, next to each other within the jumble. The extras spell the quotation’s last seven words, specifying the condition. Remaining unclued lights prove that this condition exists in the grid; solvers will therefore be able to enter the aforementioned area, which must be highlighted. One unclued light consists of three words; ignore an apostrophe.

Blank crossword

Solvers must create the barred grid for themselves; the resulting grid is symmetrical whichever side is uppermost. When submitting an entry, solvers need not indicate the clue numbers, but must clearly indicate the pattern of eight bars at the centre of the grid which is an example of the theme. This pattern is named as one of the unclued lights which are of a kind and all are shown in Brewer. Ignore three acute accents. Across 4    Dictator takes Artemis out East – he fears Gaul (11) 11    What about painting wrongly?

2163: Muscle

Six unclued lights (one hyphened) suggest words each differently formed from the same 13 22, which appears as a clued light and must be shaded.#   Across   1    Common choir dressed in black and white (11) 11    Thing every elder has about yellow waistcoat (6) 15    Message in letter about this month in Paris?

2162: Stand in

In each of eleven clues the definition part contains a superfluous letter.  These letters, in clue order, 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 an accent.

2161: Appellation contrôlée

The unclued lights (one doubly hyphened) share a medical similarity. (Despite appearances there are no rude words in the puzzle!)   Across   3    Revolutionary clock setting? (12, two words) 11    Vessels from fleet in the States (4) 12    When a name is misrepresented? (7) 16    Caught bird, reportedly, on rock (5) 18    Oarsman’s swimming style (6) 20    33’s code-words (5) 22    Some disc analysis?

2160: 18 Down

Six unclued lights are 18 Down from the same source (five are entitled to appear; the sixth appears regularly). Six cells initially contain between two and six clashing letters; these must be resolved to display thematic 18. Elsewhere, ignore three accents and two apostrophes.   Across   10    A Republican politician maintains British dealt badly with defence material (12, hyphened) 12    Marsh tree (5) 13    In speech, lifts poet’s handles (7) 15    Awkwardly got up on camel bred to travel (9) 16    Crack plus heroin – a drug (6) 17    Protecting money, American wealthy mostly lacking heart?

2159: Wine, Woman and Song

Nine unclued lights are linked in three different ways (three lights to each) to a tenth, which solvers should highlight. All may be verified in Chambers.   Across   5    Wet month unproductive (6) 10    In the open, fish got cleverly hidden (10, three words) 12    Atom bombs are nuclear without exception (6, three words) 17    Trifled foolishly? (7) 18    Request provided for a time obliquely in Scotland (7) 20    In part of swine’s face, note a drop of white (8) 25    Look round Spain for a house (3) 26    Prelates leaving a cathedral en masse?

2158: Late bloomers

The unclued lights (33 with I) are of a kind, all verifiable in Chambers under the appropriate headword.   Across   1    Chief director takes one look at the league (13, two words) 8    Very best note on new piano (7) 10    1 and 10 down. Confused? I’m off!

2157: Song X

Round the perimeter clockwise from 1 run six lights of a kind (7,9,10,9,9,8): if the grid were a 13/12, they might collectively suggest the title of a song famously 22 19 years ago. Corner letters are held in STRONG REGARD. A relevant name (5) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.   Across   9    More tea or coffee? (5) 10    Soccer tactic went awry in no-score draw (6, hyphened) 11    A Spring Sunday: time ducks returned (7) 15    Gosh! It’s somebody on 70 curatives (10) 16    Aunt Sally?

2156: Shoreline

Seven items of a kind read clockwise round the perimeter. In ten clues, cryptic indications omit reference to parts of answers; these parts must be highlighted, to reveal a definition of the perimeter items. Letters in corner squares and those adjacent to them could form WADERS, NOT OLD.

2154: Clickety click

This puzzle marks the 40 of a 33 29. 16A, 24 and 1D (four words) are three of his works. 7 (hyphened) and 22A combine to give an anagram of the 29’s name (hyphened).

2153: Selling

Each of thirteen clues contains one misprinted letter in the definition part. Corrections of misprints spell a phrase involving a pair of items. Unclued Across lights are examples of one of these items, and unclued Down lights are examples of the other. Ignore an apostrophe in a clued light.

2152: T20 – it’s just not cricket!

The unclued lights (and 4 Down + N) are of a kind and along with the suggestion given by the title, they indicate how all the solutions (clued and unclued) have to be adapted before being entered into the grid. Ignore two accents and one apostrophe.

2151: Sources

Three theme words which must be deduced each suggest three unclued lights (including one of two words and ignoring one definite article). The word which connects the three theme words must be highlighted in the completed grid. Unchecked and cross-checking letters in all unclued lights could spell: KOREANS CAN SOON LEARN.

2150: Content

Each of thirteen clues contains a superfluous word. Initial letters of these words spell the first four words of a quotation (in ODQ), the rest of which is supplied by two unclued lights (one of which consists of two words); another unclued light is the author’s surname. Clues in italics consist of cryptic indications of partial answers; in each case, the indicated part is to do as stated by the start of the quotation to create the full answer to be entered in the grid. Definitions of resulting entries are supplied by the remaining unclued lights.   Across   1 Interesting stone in river (5) 9 Can treatment yet help broken blisters? (10) 11 Effective delay ordering litre (5) 12 Actor?

2149: Super!

Each of the unclued lights (one of two words and one of three) can be preceded by the same word which solvers must state when submitting their entry. All resulting phrases are verifiable in Brewer 19th edition.   Across   1 Detached from musical backed by censor (8) 6 Thoroughfares more important than Norfolk waterways, apparently (6, hyphened) 11 Copy of period furniture with small repeat and gold backing (5) 14 Overtake again taking time out from meals (6) 16 Public showing Eastern cross by river (4) 17 Cake with bit of icing authorised at first for Athenian assembly (8) 21 They give out decorations without bits of ice (8) 25 Male or female dress. Not half! (3) 26 Efflorescence seen during Mysore hurricane (3) 28 Franchisees at liberty?

2148: Eighth of February

Unclued lights (including two of two words and an accent to be ignored) can be expressed in such a way as to form a thematic set. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.   Across   1    Solitary criminal canned opium (11) 11    Vintage malt liquor needing special can in perfect condition (6) 13    Dramatist from Italy a certain ancient poet abridged (7) 15    Knockout pair of rivers divided country (5) 16    More than one duck appears in turn (5) 17    Implant in Henry’s heart and back as well (6) 18    What’s by Mac’s door? Rook heartless cat carried round (5) 20    Negative voter puts out tent for Wesley?