Unclued lights (one of two words, the others paired) at length have something in common.
Across
1 Faced bombs near end of life (7)
11 Museum spending pounds to acquire English works (6)
12 European body said to be a biblical tribe (7)
14 Losing sides destroy poetic inspiration (5)
15 First person on chimney reaching heavens (5)
16 Shrewd to hide roubles in crevice (6)
17 Mum unfortunately sent back spicy paste (6)
18 In which to deliver good wine? (7,3)
20 Given day off, study papers for research (7)
23 In sleeper perhaps women used to wear these (9)
26 Pristine yellow filling cryptically suggests having green edges (4-5)
30 Land collapsing into sea (7)
33 People’s offering party refused (6)
36 Ace, one taking a bow, stripped for dressing (5)
37 What goes straight into the trash: slipper with hole in the back (7)
38 Huge duck, bony (6)
39 One entitled to send back fish and meat dish (7)
Down
1 Very revolutionary, dividing our ticket (7)
3 Greeting character, not a remarkable incident once (8)
5 Adjust engine, taking effort to the limits through slippery hill (6)
6 Struggle to speak at first, then talk non-stop (8)
8 Assistant takes advantage of breaks (6)
9 Left one engine off-centre and sluggish (8)
13 Neutral tone of mild sarcasm holding work up (4-4)
19 A Midlander once, one moving from another country (8)
21 Tense, modifying this rite for unorthodox believer (9)
22 Siesta ruined by live insects (8)
24 Cherish sinner: he reforms (8)
25 I wish tour halved, for no other reason than … (2,4,2)
26 Admit caught in sticky stuff in limo (4,3)
27 Rue damage; no room for panic (7)
28 Seaside town is stifling (2,4)
29 Get out a spike, sunk in the middle part of hand (6)
30 Let us book in alternation each Greek island (6)
32 Some overcrowded city visited by ambassador (5)
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A first prize of a £30 John Lewis voucher and two runners-up prizes of £20 vouchers for the first correct solutions opened on 1 December. 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 2729, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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