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.
Across
7 Pull ploughs near (7)
8 Rock in baseball field (7)
9 Write sad song about glee lost in heart of dozens (7)
12 US footballer hugs independent babe (4)
14 Little iron crocks for pasta (10)
15 Oxide‘s try-out is disastrous (8)
20 Girton oddball discoursing mechanically (6)
21 Handsomer bachelor shuns lively partygoer (5)
23 A second person gutted fish (3)
26 Livingstone’s pet |requested something (3)
30 Junk’s fifth sail? (5)
32 Non-conformity at this time is unknown (6)
36 Intellectual developed Celtomania (10)
39 Foot? One’s beginning to blister (4)
40 Accurately adjusting German article in basket (7)
41 Prince’s place Chinese Kitty bedecks (7)
42 Nice stump for cricketer (7, two words)
Down
1 Sam Whitbread perhaps drops empty beer jug (4)
2 Wise Amerinds hiding outside (4)
3 Dammit old style (getting cross all right!) (7)
4 Cooks up English poems (5)
5 ‘Distribute generously’ Della suggested (8, two words)
6 Pimples gathering on fungus (7)
10 Rubbish heard in some tongue (5)
13 Vacuous crazy neo-Nazi Oz expelled (5)
16 Maybe Don drowns base robber (6)
17 Tree in boulevard (3)
18 Porridge almost worked for Scots gent (6)
22 Am one following toppled emperor (8)
24 Sail from Indian state with nut on board (5)
25 Coral possibly cycling with Guy Burgess (7)
27 Not a shanty playing instrument (5)
28 Some antique currency? (3)
29 Maiden ignored familiar wiggly worm (7)
31 Particle of passion Norse god exuded (5)
35 Mouldiness of landscape without a sign of nature (5)
37 Auntie gathering minimal buttercups (4)
38 Catty about Lawson’s first oven (4)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 12 July. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk – the dictionary prize is not available. We will accept postal entries again at some point.
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