Nine unclued lights (including two of three words and three of two with one in short form, ignore an apostrophe) have been seen on 35. A clued light gives a further example also in short form and must be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore an accent.
Across
1 Stupid gents boy cleaned out (5)
10 Queen and peer she’d seduced, knight stops and berates (10)
11 Plaster over wounds starts to come off (6)
12 Trees the French philosopher hugs (7)
14 Senior soldier adult axed dead in Morse? (5)
15 Geordie washes down muddy Sandy without a bit of soap (5)
16 King gripped by incredible film star (6)
22 Indispensable, I left Bogotá in trouble (8)
23 Holy book new rector gave Di (7)
24 Frenchman very OK on the outside (4)
25 Come now and drink with HMRC’s man (2,2)
32 Reptiles into devouring a torso? (6)
34 Less sensible director sacked later (5)
36 Singer set off hounds (7)
37 Feast I seethed about includes crustless pie (6)
38 Brit ultimately gave Asian queen a new dog (10)
40 Chap cupboards not one hairnet (5)
Down
2 Music festival old contralto mounts (5)
4 Soldiers in HQ got up and were off (7)
5 Chairmen may do this stuff in bedrooms (10)
6 Soon I’d a lyre to play (7)
7 Triumphant times vet dies in (1-4)
8 Glorifying old archbishop (absolute conservative) (9)
9 Virginia’s sauce succeeded with turkey (4)
13 Bearing right Roo’s pal set off (7)
15 Idler leather splitter (6)
17 Jack strolls miles away each noon in the year (4,6)
18 Good wine fuels defender (7)
20 Nye now has feet up the whole evening … (9)
21 … needing a more substantial job (6)
28 Angles are Germans plumbing deep ravines (7)
31 Sweeper maybe someone tackles (5)
33 Stumpy character keeps batting (5)
34 Father of quartet (4)
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A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on 30 September. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk, or post to: Crossword 2671, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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