2599: Slow to change

Six unclued entries (4, 1, 2, 2, 2 and 3 words) give a proverb (verifiable in ODQ), and the remaining unclued entries (one of two words) give examples of a noun therein.

Across

1    Spelt ‘sorry’ with an E in (5)
4    Triangular prism arranged by bouncers I rejected (5,4)
11    I party, and not outside – not outside (6)
12    Ghana keeps a big person bound (7)
14    King advanced prince for local governing body (5)
15    Trendy dog to suffer (5)
16    Shutter obscuring viewfinder? (6)
22    Idiot’s survey of masses of Earth? (8)
23    Wagner finally topped wicked musical ornamentation (7)
24    Put notes into this work (4)
25    Fabric used regularly to make pink pants (4)
27    Disgusting old boy gets part in play (7)
32    Base goddess follows her heart (6)
34    Ifs could be specified by this conclusion (5)
35    Above artist following Seurat’s first work (5)
36    Sound that may inspire blessing in dispute, they say (7)
37    Gross plate sent back (6)
40    Single-material house made by pigs, without outside toilet (5)

Down

2    Girlfriend who’s false when pressure’s on (5)
3    Offshore locations when getting around tax (6)
4    Taking a female garment Desmond is wearing off (7)
5    Surprisingly short kid dives (10)
6    Greek aspiring to work in India (7)
9    Satirist chucking Queen in oven (4)
15    Poisoning one with belief in mythical force (6)
17    Perhaps hunting sulphur in red liquids (5,5)
18    Staff pet ferret (7)
20    Minced tripe together with inch of kidneys (9)
21    Rising son without aspiration makes Persian noises? (6)
26    Mutant rule is shown in book (7)
28    Savage Arab hit Indian (7)
30    Being lazy’s not very sporting (6)
31    Consultant rejects commercial for face-mask (5)
33    Plain vanilla nobody stocks (5)
34    They take the heat off the crowd? (4)

Download a printable version here.

A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on 24 April.