Pabulum

Somewhere in 23D 30 July is important. Remaining unclued lights (including two pairs and a trio) give the place’s capital city, one of its volcanoes, an indigenous reptile and its national anthem. Its former name (three words) appears diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe.   Across 1 Observe switch in fashion (4) 7 Brit abroad demolished fibros (6) 12 Lion beginning to nibble wader (5) 13 Jenny produces a lot of herrings (250) (5) 15 Secure sheep that’s penned (3,2) 18 Loose covers partly dry (4) 20 Harrow titan loses it (4) 21 Groom accepts alien child (3-4) 22 Fabric had by Lady of Shalott?

Clockwise round the grid from 7 run the names (8,5,3,3,8,3,8,7,7) of six members of a winning set, the other three members forming the unclued lights (including two of two words). Solvers must shade the two clued lights giving further relevant names. Across 8 Seaweed aged sheep gobbled (5) 9 One’s advanced banking system backing Eastern art (7) 10 Love of French poetry (3) 11 Spiritual father a pub ruined (4) 13 Plant right in marshland (4) 15 Porcelain lid in the White House? (5) 16 One thousand and eight lumps of sugar?

Clockwise round the grid from a point to be determined run the names of four knights (2,5,5,5,5,8,5,3) followed by what they are (two words). A clued light tells how many 35 they have amassed between them, while a pair of unclued lights indicate a 17 linking all four.   Across 8 Wearing medal one accepted (5) 9 Estate in Albania attracting hatred (7) 10 Into toads? Wrong – I’m into dragonflies (9) 12 Gosh, old Oscar gains medal!

Unclued lights (including two of two words) suggest nine words (all in Chambers) starting with the same four-letter word that will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.   Across 1 A grass posing as gulfweed (8) 5 Dip in swirling river (3) 13 Oxford college with pool and some land (7) 15 Refuse in Cornish river (5) 16 Goats from Croatia within Aussie island (5) 17 Lustred cloth pressed by a painter?

Unclued lights are nine words taken from a poem whose first three words (as quoted in ODQ) will appear in the completed grid. The poet’s surname is a clued light and must be shaded. Surplus words in six clues are more words from the poem.

Nine unclued lights (all real words) are the names of 35A with one letter misprinted. The correct letters match those that will appear in the shaded squares.   Across 13 Plastic strap on spade? (10, two words) 14 Truly no rector is transparent (5) 15 Eucharist united a victim in pieces (8) 17 Polish glossy (5) 18 Clue upset Pat (3) 19 Alloy in metal ring nothing squashes (7) 20 Colette’s husband takes against physicist (7) 21 Save nice moose after injury (9) 24 Last of these goods are mine (3) 29 Bird shuns rook in trouble (3) 37 US city scours Delaware for trendy anthem (7) 38 Sound personal trainer good lord engaged (7) 39 Aunt from Santiago?

Six unclued lights (all real words) are the names of 35/26 minus one letter. The missing letters match those that will appear in the shaded squares.   Across 1 Take in fire shoe for small firefighter?

Ten pairs of unclued lights give the names of people whose 89 was ‘50D/2A’ (six words in total). They include one 37, two singers, a prolific 34, a colourful writer, an outré TV star, an expert at ‘16/6/38’ (six words in total), a film producer, a mathematician who also watched ‘128/103/10’ (five words in total) and a 93A/79. Elsewhere, ignore two accents. Thirty-three special clues include a definition and a hidden letter mixture of the light.

Clockwise round the grid from 2 runs a quotation (5,3,3,5,6,4,3,4,3,3,4,5) followed by the poet’s first name. Her second name is a clued light which shares a letter with her surname which appears diagonally in the completed grid. Two pairs of unclued lights (including one of two words) give the titles of two of her novels. Solvers must shade all three names of the poet. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

Clockwise round the grid from 20 runs a quotation minus one word (1,2,4,4,4,1,4,1,5,4,4,9) followed by an honest servant’s name. Unclued lights exemplify the missing word. The source of the quotation appears in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 9 Charlie neglected very famous philosopher (5) 10 Boxer a little below par offering excuse (5) 12 Note chap going round institute (5, doubly hyphened) 13 Plant extract in delicacy friend nibbled (7) 15 Singing seamstress active in coastal city (5) 16 Background with cloudy island RSC repaired (5) 18 Yobs in old footwear cycling (5) 21 Takeaway district in protectorate (8) 22 Last letter from Eddie?

Unclued lights can be arranged so that, preceded by ‘What is’, they form a question whose answer solvers must shade. Ignore a hyphen.

Unclued lights (including three of two words and two pairs) suggest various versions of a name given by a pair of successive clued lights which solvers must shade. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

Clockwise round the grid from 34 run the answers (6,6,5, 11,4,3,7,4) (one hyphened) to eight riddles followed by the riddler’s name. Two pairs of unclued lights give the name of the riddler’s brother and the nature of the riddler. Shaded squares will give the letters of a relevant name. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.

Ten unclued lights (including four pairs) are of a kind. Ignore two hyphens and an apostrophe. What could have induced this puzzle will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.

Six unclued lights are the names of traditional English county towns with one letter misprinted so as to form new words. The correct letters could give 26, examples of which are 1A, 17 and 22A. Across 7 Sound of kitten in hiding-place (3) 11 Mechanical playwright heard E strings (6) 13 Aberdonian angler with chatter about fish (7, hyphened) 15 Short course is wanting (5) 16 Ruby gutted a grouse (5) 18 River one’s learning about (5) 23 Parrot flying round English magistrate (7) 30 Slack student (no saint) began to play (5) 31 Left out courtesan returned and showered vigorously (6) 33 Lighter plough (5) 35 Rainy?

Clockwise round the grid from 3 run seven dramatis personae; unclued lights give anagrams of two more. The play’s title will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Ignore two apostrophes.

Two contrasting film stars allegedly said ‘1A’ (five words) and ‘49/27’ (six words in total). Remaining unclued lights (including one of three words and two pairs) give the birthplace of one and the place where the other died and the titles of two films in which they starred. Solvers must shade the two clued lights that give their surnames. Fifteen special clues include a definition and a hidden letter mixture of the light. Ignore two apostrophes and two accents.

December 12th was the birthday of two famous men. Unclued lights (including one of five words, one of two words and a pair totalling four words) give their surnames, two examples of each one’s work, and the birthplace of one. The birth-place (7) of the other will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Ignore two accents.

Unclued lights are defined by extra words in ten clues and are anagrams of ten of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe. Across 9 Medic with hate for compound medication (4)12 Leper snubbed lethargic Arab (5)13 Mark is very into Islay’s liquor (5)14 A software user acquiring flash technology (5)16 Rugged harrier names ruthless smuggler (10, hyphened)18 No longer do crack pastor banned (5)23 Heartless Maurice disrupted fructification (6)26 Tiny daughter breeding fat hen? (4) 29 Blade saboteur left about (5) 30 Drinks from chaps, maiden refused (4)32 Brilliant surgeon forbidding tenor to die (6)33 LBJ, possibly in stirring motorcade, giving nothing away (8)39 Novice red with idealism indeed!