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2188: Pieces of eight

Each unclued light is somehow related to a clued one. Elsewhere, ignore an acute accent.   Across   4    Clone 33 recreating the Crocodile (11, two words) 11    Athlete taking Scottish miser to freemason’s son (9, two words) 13    Danger cut — touching heartless pedestrian (11) 14    Kiss nag (4) 15    Sound of pleasure having rock and heroin (3) 19    Distant mountains with stone (7) 22    Upshot of what is in salt, in France (6) 23    Restrained. Yes!

To 2185: Over the sea

The unclued are locations on SKYE, ‘The Misty Isle’ (solutions at 15 and 31). ISLE does double duty in 15/31 and 31/33. The title suggests ‘Over the sea to Skye’, the isle now being linked to the mainland by a bridge. V/W at 41 Across refers to the alternatives Waternish and Vaternish. First prize D.P. Shenkin, London WC1 Runners-up C.

2185: Over the sea — and bridge

Two unclued lights describe the location of the others, individually or as a pair. One of these unclued lights does double duty. One square must contain a beetle showing possible alternatives to one of the unclued lights.   Across 11    Tipsy grannie raking it in (7) 12    Skilling worker put sign outside (6, hyphened) 16    Noble cut out mink (5) 19    In bed, off work (7) 21    First half of expedition to Spain is risk-free (4) 23    Continue to rush doctor (7) 24    Land mass is reflected volcanic rock (4) 30    Fan of absolute ruler placing garments in race (7) 32    Prisoner having to give up grant (7) 34    Fish in sloop.

To 2182: Tops

The unclued lights are ROMAN CROWNS. First prize Philip Hawkins, Wirksworth, Matlock, Derbyshire Runners-up G.H.

To 2179: Cos

The unclued lights are abbreviations of seven English and one Welsh county, which themselves are inflected headwords in Chambers. (Consequently, Hants at 35 Across was disallowed) First prize Christina Casement, West Harting, Hampshire Runners-up R.C.

2179: Cos

The unclued lights are of a specific kind. Additionally each is a legitimate inflected headword in Chambers. Elsewhere, ignore one acute accent and an apostrophe.   Across   4    By the way, black weapon is a valuable curio (9, two words) 9    C.O.O.L.E.R. characters in the mail?

to 2176: ,

The unclued lights are BUTTERFLIES (as is the ‘comma’ in the title). The pairs are 7/34A, 13/24, 33/6 and 35/25.   First prize Sheila Beesley, Coventry Runners-up J.

2176: ,

The unclued lights (one hyphened, one of two words), individually or as four pairs, are of a kind.   Across   4    Small thief accepting a lead album for cuttings (9) 10    Photographer’s kit cases with 40 systems (10) 11    Composer from Harlem, composed (6) 12    Unscrupulous member of the French Academy drops tenor (7) 14    Speeds new shipment NHS omitted (5) 15    Separate old coil (5) 16    A chore cooking vegetable (6) 22    He certainly puts his foot down (8) 23    Most haggard marine removed from unclued pair, maybe (7) 27    No organ here — now that’s a drama, we’re told (7) 29    Not acquired — left in or left out!

to 2173: Men of note

The unclued lights are COMPOSERS whose surnames start with the letter C.   First prize C.R. Haigh, Hassocks, West Sussex Runners-up Kenneth Robb, Linlithgow, West Lothian; Dr R.L.H.

2173: Men of note

The unclued lights are of a specific kind.   Across   11    Top flier backs help for sloth (6) 12    Birds on the barriers (5) 14    Mayfly larva on cobras, dead (5) 15    The head that’s characteristic of the Russian Church (5) 17    Lay claim to 32s somehow (6) 19    Eric needs new place to stay (9) 21    Caught fish, mushy peas and wine? (7) 24    Short Celt, retired keeper, in a 2-2 match?

to 2170: Hector’s summer nights

The unclued lights are the titles of the six movements of Nuits d’Eté (Summer Nights in translation) by Hector Berlioz: 38, 10/6D, 30/25, 19, 15, 12/18.   First prize Philip Berridge, Spalding, Lincolnshire Runners-up Richard Foden, Vesenaz, Switzerland; Mrs E.J.

2170: Hector’s Summer Nights

The unclued lights (one of three words and three of two), as three pairs and three individually, are of a kind. Ignore four accents and one apostrophe, in total.

to 2167: Groupies

The unclued lights are ‘nouns of assemblage’, all listed on page 6 of the Word Lover’s Miscellany section in Chambers 2011. Solvers had to shade to highlight COWARDICE (34A + 40A).

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?

to 2164: Blank crossword

The unclued lights are types of CROSS. Solver were required to indicate clearly the FYLFOT at the centre of the grid.   First prize M.

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?

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?