Seven unclued lights (one hyphened) are 23: 7A + 17 + 40 + 5 + 6 + 31 = 36. Ignore one accent. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe and two accents.
Across
1 Half per cent off haircut (11, two words)
11 Girl crafty in conversation (6)
13 Lunatic ran through crazy Swiss town (7)
15 Stop charging about part of church (5)
16 Scots ask gentleman about Peru (5)
18 Friendly earl cuddled priest’s daughter (5)
20 Yarn one from Paisley spins in recurring patterns (6)
21 Sack or Martini? (5)
22 Electronic system tap-dancer contrived ejects CD (7)
27 Ship’s position, say, eagle flying takes on board (7, two words)
29 What god inspires composer? (5)
30 The old make out she sculpted large bird (6)
32 Port in Lesotho, one in perfect condition (5)
34 Famous general dogs a dry old statesman (6)
37 It lets student go away without worry (5)
38 Water is quaffed by alien swordsman (7)
39 Cocktail Dumpynose’s band talked about (6, two words)
41 Seven sages tango, livening 20 January (11, three words)
Down
1 Myth involving litre stirred like coffee? (10)
2 Tree Q climbs aptly arrayed (8)
3 Charles and his mama receive a very nomadic leader (9)
4 Sybil’s quality aroused poetic shrimp (12)
7 Several tips a couple of traders formerly snubbed (5)
8 Argue over Keats’ first poem? (4)
9 Slough and not seaside town (6)
10 Painter rising late in the morning? (5)
12 Early ayurveda not quite spurned by barrister (6)
14 Greek philosopher’s schooled alien teacher (12)
19 Where computers will be let out by English sportsman (10)
21 Units coloured green not sulphur (9)
24 Stud with active life is trimmer (8, two words)
25 Sumptuous food shop not one wife enters initially (6, two words)
26 Charlie turned sprightly in old kingdom (7)
28 Gross, glib and obscene (6)
33 Clever cockney owned pet cuckoo (5)
35 List of dry-cleaning (4)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 30 March. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers Dictionary instead of cash— ring the word ‘Dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2202, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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