The unclued lights (one of two words), correctly paired, are of a kind and are defective in the same way. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
Across
1 Indecision of poet shortly to tour America (8)
5 A band restrains it likewise (6, two words)
14 Judge half a fool (3)
16 Shrewd to capture rook in tight opening (6)
18 Fold in applicant’s heart (5)
20 Accumulate leave, by the way (7)
24 To put it another way, some drank, but the … (7)
25 Slip at intervals in fear or worry (5)
26 Increase cost at first by an arm or a leg (5)
28 A priest at home in Paris, ready (7, three words)
31 Wearing mask, European has a solid meal (7, hyphened)
33 Problem: teacher, tense, falls back in spasm (7)
37 Provide for insect needing energy to soak up sun (5)
38 In old lens, Christian’s head not visible (5)
39 Dye: nice or nasty? (6)
41 Ambassador’s position around university strangely uncertain (10)
42 Remove moral flaw from man in power? (6)
43 One collapsing is brilliant afterwards (8)
Down
1 Tonic pacifies lunatic having breakdown (13)
2 Householder’s special pin (5)
3 Being born ascetic (6)
4 Caught aroma of southern cheese dish (5)
6 Executed gangster, criminal alien (7)
7 Linen that is taken off to remain behind (6)
10 Evoke endless happiness (6)
12 Say the correct recipe for sea pie (13, hyphened)
13 Machine operator, having time, beginning to leaf through schoolbook (8)
15 During lifetime, you are militaristic (7)
21 Unable to travel today in Kent, row follows (8, two words)
23 Turning up with net, sea goddess (7)
27 Child has cane at home for nothing (7)
29 Class apparently not so busy? (6)
30 Travelling entertainers around, one short, at our party (6)
32 Declaration in one of a few letters read out (6)
35 Swagger, given way to get over tedious course (5)
36 Drive son away from cutter (4)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 13 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 2298, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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