Xmas Spectator

2A, 118, 1 and 19 (three of five words and one of three, ignore two apostrophes) are of a kind. The first word of a further example sounds like what is defined by both 53 and 8/92; 39, 72 and 110 may each precede its second word; its third is associated with 75, 95/54D and 97; 37, 52A, 4, 43, 47D, 68, 74 and 107 are its fourth; its fifth is part of 57, 77 and 99; ‘34/62/35’ defines an anagram of its sixth; and its seventh capitalised is an abbreviation of the 6/91D. Its sixth word will appear diagonally in the grid and must be shaded.
 
Across
15 Strong headwind whirling about boy (5)
16 Oriental robe beset with bone ornaments (8)
18 Ruth is very good bishop going about with love (6)
20 Island integrating young adult (4)
21 Anguish since nanny vacated (5)
23 Jumper for shivering German (4)
24 Sam swimming with the wigeon (6)
26 Poet’s floozy ran into imperfect lass (7)
27 Fruit Smith rejected being an old woman (6)
28 I’ll cure couple of those … with this? (9, two words)
33 Warlike epigrammatist (7)
38 Roy saves cry of disgust for rowdy type (6)
40 There follows soprano (unaccompanied) (5)
47 One shocking cocktail mixer? (6)
48 Hateful person, to overcharge for plant! (8)
50 Anyone no good creates litter (5)
51 Units senior officer brooded about (5)
54 Jack’s dull and dejected without wife (5)
56 Brother got together timeless staged event (7, hyphened)
60 Old poet of restricted range (4)
65 Cop witnesses Asian big shot cycling (6)
67 Roadie’s kit overwhelms no small women (4)
69 Enigmatic Grand Master shunned crude Gnostic (7)
71 Political machine has fit about skyman (7)
73 Leader of the pack wings round central Kilkenny (5)
79 Mummy gets attention over in meeting-place (5)
80 Rover’s not barking (5)
81 On vacation Virginia missed mixing plaster (8)
82 Seychelles issue plan of action (6)
91 Engineer gets a jolt (5)
93 Songbird has Asian maid in a spin (5)
94 Output of brash painter in tears (9)
96 Some champagne soothes Copperfield’s truelove (5)
101 Thracians punished enemy of law and order (9)
104 Hollow sound of birds and gong (6)
105 Clique enthralled by silent bagpipe (7)
109 Grief of poor jurists judge ignored (6)
111 What’s very small tumulus? (4)
113 Pie filler 90 rodents must gobble (5)
114 Sad sound from all but 53 (4)
115 Not a wavering beauty’s qualified consent (6, hyphened)
116 Dance company changed nature (8)
117 Tree beginning to menace a weed (5)
 
Down
2 Dozy bloodhound losing heart discovers gold coin (8)
3 Elegant hydrant in South Wales town (5)
5 ID of scoundrel twirling gun (6, two words)
7 Low rector fell (4)
9 Pillbox back in California (4)
10 Facilities seem deficient (3)
11 Land in Arabia has good golf for LA’s burglars (7)
12 Governor is not one of the Little Women (7)
13 Asian queen Hislop hugs? (7)
14 Learned barbarian eschews heroin (3)
17 Black powder merry old soul talked of (4)
22 Wok for Aladdin? (5)
23 Stuff horse nibbled (4)
25 Quite lofty tenor retired (3)
29 Bowed instrument hearthrug regularly muffled (4)
30 Riverside meadow popular with children (4)
31 Particle of metal out of river (3)
32 A lot of water? Row with energy! (5)
36 Sheikdom’s extension in Selkirk (3)
40 Cutting with lancets, learner cut badly (6)
41 Middle Eastern hill with bean plants (7)
42 Scholars wasted excellent port (5)
44 Lustier king dumped weird Arthurian heroine (6)
45 Smart question for knight in copshop (5)
46 Importance of key memo (4)
49 Amerind from 106, close to Hanksville (3)
52 Rubberneck grand to copy (4)
55 Plugs of first class copper (3)
58 Stonecrop Pinero cultivated (6)
59 One eloquent in sacred opus stifling cry of joy (6)
60 Dispatch lacking length for instance (3)
61 Excellent Scots road crossing loch (4)
63 Yes, European in cooler is a long time freezing (6, two words)
64 Character’s disgrace finally got out (5)
66 Boycott almost everything in stock (5)
70 Acreage with own stunted tree (4)
76 Time of day nobody’s below par (4)
78 Caterpillar ducks gnawed (5)
83 Swell marine (3)
84 Giant string wound up (4)
85 Brass component unknown among clubs (4)
86 The snow goose abandoned nest leaving Sing Sing? (8)
87 Buffalo from South Africa butting timid creature (7)
88 Bounder silent about one element (7)
89 Pruned reed-mace bursting with flower clusters (7)
90 Some jester, Zulu blanked (3)
98 A pity set’s incomplete (3)
100 HM visits pig and goat-antelope (5)
102 Government banned haggard old gossip (4)
103 Arabian guy keeps anonymous (5)
106 Film boater perhaps capsizing in Beehive State (4)
108 Is Maggie lifting stones? (4)
112 Pastoral song from goatherd (3)
 
A first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Crossword Dictionary will be awarded for the first correct solutions opened. The first four prizewinners will, in addition, each receive a bottle of champagne. Entries to: Christmas Crossword, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP by 7 January.