Along the top and bottom rows of the grid runs a seasonal quotation of 11 words. 81 clues contain a superfluous word; the initial letters of these words in clue order spell out another seasonal quotation of 21 words; ignore the apostrophe. Other unclued lights (five of two words, one of three), singly or linked, give the surnames of the two authors, the works from which the quotations come, and titles of six other works by each author. Any initial ‘The’ in titles is in all cases omitted. The final unclued light is the name of a work not by, but based on, one of the authors, and should be highlighted.
A first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Dictionary of Great Quotations (2015) will be awarded for the first correct solutions opened. The first four prizewinners will also each receive a bottle of champagne. Entries to: Christmas crossword, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP by 11 January.
Across
14 Observe suit holds wallet (8)
16 Even in East Virginia, Indians play it (5)
17 Side opposing bond no court admits (6)
19 Drug in meat, powerful danger signal (6)
23 Chapel debates, ongoing, hard to resolve (8)
26 No garden tool keeps one more nervous (6)
30 Old court allowed to arrest European (4)
31 Room to manoeuvre, making a lace collar (6)
32 Fireball encountered by deer backing off (6)
33 Routine, real bore (5)
34 Extremely safe NY block, except lower part (7)
35 Run, heading off wriggly snake (5)
37 Piece of music, one tempo obviously wrong (8, two words)
38 Before own parent, receiving one prize (7)
40 Star workers fencing 100 square metres (7)
41 Seated, devising way round garden (6)
49 Recoiling from soldiers, one in speechless thought (9)
53 Miserable first half, one cruelly relentless (6)
54 Confusing reflections of every object of worship in running water (6)
56 Defender in line: can the weak ref blow up? (10, hyphened)
59 Secure container with diamonds (4)
61 Prince ordered infantry showily dressed (7)
66 Fox News, always a topical programme (5)
68 Bringing in newspaper extract, omitting dry details (5)
71 I arrive, cruising warm Indian coast (7)
73 Have you had food? Some like The Ace of Spades (7)
75 Buzzer used to be quiet (4)
80 A number wrong about chess, a real game (6)
81 Likewise eating horribly dull fruit (6)
84 Diver’s green arms broke ice (9)
86 Potters lecture learner in Scots college (7)
90 Firmly fixed barrel until one last move (7, hyphened)
95 Old actor returns to a beautiful beach (5)
97 Ugly brawl left hole in boat (7, two words)
99 Inspector tries seizing stolen loincloth (5)
103 Forbidden to use laundry label due out (6)
105 Open party for diplomats (4)
107 In poem, each blemish is a symbolic device (6)
109 Cry after son’s terrible cricket stroke (5)
112 PM’s main item: source of oil (8, two words)
114 Soldiers with a tribute for each death (6)
115 Calm meeting in weird silence (6)
117 Crooner drops by to croon, going over hit (8)
Down
1 Losing idle month in cloister, behind time for putting in columns (10)
2 Shoes so repaired: cured, one may say (6)
4 Young woman substitutes at the time husband leaves church (5)
5 Sailor turns square key (4)
6 Ring sounds like a beauty (4)
8 Tumbler at first swirled, not one load spread out to dry (6)
9 I easily calm a raging dust storm (6)
10 In exciting Derby, achieved same fast time (9, hyphened
11 Carry special money as tribal symbol (5)
12 Innocent couple into white magic (4)
15 Military reports of mobilised troops persist (7)
18 Talking wildly, ring house (6)
20 Top of liquidiser allowed to touch mouth (6)
22 A sufficient reason to be stranded (7)
25 Steal special indoor cleaning cloth (5)
27 Editing response about lousy degree (9)
36 Seriously please German navy, labelled ruthless (10, hyphened)
39 Walk on watery pulp (4)
42 Pleasant, extremely elegant, tiny subtlety (6)
43 Girl likes reflective article (4)
45 Watery spirit, little one deacon’s drunk (7)
47 Vote has no British support: one’s kindly given share (8)
48 Woodpecker giving lift to two fairies (6)
50 Peer eagerly over endlessly fat, soft flesh (8)
51 Basely dismissing bishop for tirade, extremely rudely (10)
52 Fighters commonly damage prison yard (4)
55 Here’s an obvious idea: one nerd to be strung up (5, two words)
57 Saint’s answer to brothers unexpectedly interrupting me (7)
60 Flower is in sunlight (5)
62 Disable male robber on purpose (4)
64 Bring up your chosen drug, grass (3)
65 Witch doctor’s helpful team breaks up in the morning (6)
67 Inflexible saint refuses to be deflected (9)
69 Prophetic individual managing to arrest witness (9, hyphened)
72 Struggle over wife’s opinion (4)
74 Away from home, tenure on Dartmoor not secure initially (7, two words)
78 Very funny lecturer’s lie about timetable (4)
79 Say, count carrots at one bad meal (10)
83 Excited by mount, holding first of auction races (7)
85 Leaving stationary motorway, was wrong about pile-up in field (5)
87 Critical reader made for each customer (7)
88 Hasty essay regularly ended up in paper (6)
89 United in resolve whip horse’s rump (5)
90 After pardon oblige to come round (6)
92 It makes teeth robust: it’s in a head (7)
94 Died — hanged? Yes, with swellings (6)
96 Strolled, seeing a doctor was in front (6)
98 Hydrocarbon originally only local, easily found in nature (6)
100 Braved disaster, talking nobly, say (6
104 Tail of coin very much incised, not the head (5)
106 Here saw Zeno almost halt a lesson (4)
108 Whale captured surfacing by Delacroix (4)
111 Person leaning over maize grinder (4)
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