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!
Clockwise round the grid from 3 run three song titles (totalling 13 words) with 3D/16 (five words in all) giving a fourth. The lyrics of the first two songs were written by someone sharing a surname with the lyricist of the other two. This name (6) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Corner letters could be A LIE. Ignore an apostrophe.
Unclued lights are ten words taken from a poem quoted in ODQ. The poet’s name (two words) will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded.
Unclued lights are anagrams of Shakespearean characters. These lights are defined by surplus words in eight clues. Across 1 Recreational areas exhibit special advantages (13, two words) 9 Athletic blue bound by IOU? As if!
Clockwise round the grid from 11 run, in chronological order, the titles (7,7,7,9,2,8,2,10) of five works by an author whose original name was 25/40/5/16. Solvers must shade the two clued lights that give the author’s nom de plume. Twenty-five special clues contain a definition and a concealed letter mixture of the light. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
The same word appears as seven headwords in Chambers. Unclued lights (including two pairs and one of three words, one of two) indicate the meaning of six of them. The word (4) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded.
Unclued lights (including one of two words) suggest a section of a sequence whose final member will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded.
Unclued lights are anagrams of ten of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 9 A model cure fixed skin condition (10)14 Lass bumpkin snubbed (3)16 Prisoner saves rodent a piece of crust (6)17 Found tree blocking highway (5)18 Baseballer’s innings in Somerset city curtailed (5, hyphened)20 Sliding in dicky part of church (7) 22 Having two hubbies is boring – having one also (7)24 G-man always escorting English commando (7)25 Maybe elders and betters relaxed with TB eliminated (5)26 Bare mountain-top, that is to say a high mountain (5)28 Gent checked fine brandless product (7)31 Nobleman with almost green clothes (7)33 Catkin’s Australian? Ridiculous!
Four pairs of unclued lights (17/5, 22/27, 29/31 and 8/26) form anagrams of the titles (one hyphened, three of three words) of novels by an author whose name is clued without definition.
Eight unclued lights are of a kind with the 3 of the 30. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.
‘10/17’ give the first three words of a statement (in ODQ) made by a famous 48/21. His works include 1A/23D (four words in total) and The 44. His forename is the remaining unclued light; the puzzle’s title suggests his surname. The fourth word (hyphened) of the statement will appear diagonally in the grid and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 8 Reckless prince linked with hot spots (4) 11 A big bell?
Across unclued lights (one of two words) combine with down ones to suggest the surnames of four famous English painters; the puzzle’s title suggests the name of a fifth. The fifth letters of these names form STARS. Elsewhere, ignore three accents.
19 October marks a milestone (hinted at by 19/26/20) for a person whose real forenames are given by 1A (three words). The other unclued lights (including two of two words, one being a toponym) suggest the titles of four of his works while the puzzle’s title suggests the title of a fifth. His real surname is clued without definition and must be shaded.
1A (four words) and 44 (four words) are quotations from the first verse of a poem (in ODQ). Five remaining unclued lights are examples of 1A, while 44 might be a comment on the other four. The poet’s initials will appear upwards in the completed grid and must be shaded.
‘40/37/1A’, as he has been called, was born in 28 (two words) and died in 30/36. He was a reluctant ‘guest’ at 16’s twenty-seventh birthday party. 22 and 40 combine to form an anagram of the name of one of his works, while the puzzle’s title suggests the name of another. His surname appears as a clued light and must be shaded. Across 5 English poet has women quite turned on (6) 9 Passing vet can see ninety bats (10) 14 Rex’s hairdo (3) 17 Dutch archbishop pirouetting in formal garb (5) 18 Film star Peter upset a swashbuckling one? (5) 20 Backward journo needling woke Oscar winner?
1A (hyphened) suggests a word which, with changes to its 7D 33, becomes the four other words (including a name) suggested by the remaining unclued lights (including a pair). The word will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded.
It is the centenary of a daring feat. Unclued lights (two of two words) include two surnames, two locations (two pairs) and the aptly positioned name of a key item (a pair). Ignore an apostrophe. Across 1 Matronage almost outraged Lily (8) 6 Appear briefly and go quietly (4) 12 Toolmaker out of Alaska playing musical device (7) 14 Pot of water bishop dropped (3) 15 Who’s there in support keeping goal?
Clockwise round the grid from 6 run the names (9,5,7,6,8,7,8) of the leading members of a group. The unchecked and corner letters could make SILVER INVENTORS RUN AROUND and 18 is an anagram of the group’s name (two words). An English version of the name (two words) the group gave to a seminal work will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Ignore one accent. Across 9 Stunner somersaults with worried screech (7) 10 Work encapsulating dry painter’s charm (7) 11 Dancing display (skipping tango, of course) (4) 13 Letter to the Hebrews in honour of religion (6) 15 Enzyme with round shape? No chance!
The second and fourth letters of six unclued lights (defined by surplus single words in six clues) form a set whose name is cryptically suggested by the remaining pair. Across 1 Acknowledged 500 vatu due (6) 5 Raptors seek rats chandler set free (8) 10 Seabird collecting books about one UK fleet? No way! (14, four words) 11 Fellow has our love (4) 16 Poet’s winter?
