
Three pairs of unclued lights suggest three four-letter words which share the same last three letters but together form 40A-25D only. Solvers must shade the clued light that contains those three letters.

Across
11 Lady also studied endlessly (6)
13 Cat televised a medic on board fishing boat (7)
15 Deed of Beatle (5)
16 Kiwi Queen of Crime spoils husband (5)
17 Wild Wyoming women ignored Will’s public disgrace (6)
21 Semi-aquatic beast needs groovy river (5)
22 Mound-birds fashioned piles keeping eggs very hidden (7)
27 Hearing result of being talked about somewhere? (7)
29 Agitator emptied Czech ballot box (5)
30 Energetic goer hundreds back in party (6)
32 Edmund’s together with unknown twin (5)
34 Brit just after athletic goddess (6)
36 Poet had a collection of books (250) (5)
37 Cardinal or chorister? (5)
38 Move to another country, leaving Gabon for Dubai? (7)
39 Plant from peninsula pruned by sons (6)
Down
1 Robert controls clan weaving ornamental fabric … (6,4)
2 … medium long fine muslin (8)
3 Rogue rum honk from regularly pulled organ stop (9)
4 Lame aunts hastily book before jetting out of Lima (12)
5 PM, briefly elated, departed ousted and made off (7)
6 Artist has trouble capturing dry locks of hair (3-5)
7 Elk short with antelope (5)
8 Good Ireland eleven perhaps (4)
9 French sleuth with no time for food-fish (6)
12 Mysterious Amerind ends in purgatory (6)
14 Novel and candid physicist, one I overlooked (12)
19 Break for short story about big black bird (10)
21 Musical glasses cheer up Ms Vitti? (9)
23 I irrationally fear soldier with no papers (8)
24 Yoga has new moves in Chinese city (8)
26 Some cyanide a tester imagines (7)
28 Decorated soldier losing heart in French department (6)
31 Wasps’ centre missing serious game (5)
33 Touch or smell Prudence (5)
35 Last year’s eye problem (4)
Download a printable version

Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in