The proverb reads ‘A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on’ (19/7/29/1D/8/10) by C.H. Spurgeon. The unclued lights at 13, 38 and 39 are BOOTS. First prize Janet Burke, Peterborough Runners-up Geoff Lee, London N1, Alan Connor, Kew, Twickenham
The unclued lights are the former and current names of various products: 2/8A, 12/36, 16/32, 17/34, 13/22. First prize David Caldecott, Bowerchalke, Salisbury Runners-up Elizabeth Feinberg, Rancho Mirage, CA, USAPearl Williamson, Dungannon, Northern Ireland
The couple were VICTORIA (23, 36, 37, 45) and ALBERT (2, 9, 17, 20, 46). 7 was the link. First prize Kenneth Allen, Riddlesden, W. YorksRunners-up P. and A. Hoverstadt, Lymm, Cheshire; Christopher Bellew, London W6
RUNNERS (10), ANSWER (28) and MEADOW (29D) defined FIELD; PROVISIONS (18), MANAGE (38) and PASSENGER (30) defined FARE; and THRUSH (11), PICNIC (16) and COMPILER (20) defined FIELDFARE (above the grid) First prize Steve Reszetniak, Margate, Kent Runners-up Alan Norman, Impington, Cambridge; Amanda Spielman, London SW4
The unclued lights each contained a letter which appeared three times. First prize Janet Hill, Eastbourne, East Sussex Runners-up Gareth Davies, Langstone, Newport, Gwent; Andrew Bell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The second half of Résumé (ODQ, 8th edition), by Dorothy (‘Dotty’) Parker (‘Nosey’), reads: ‘Guns aren’t lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live.’ First prize Peter Berridge, Spalding, Lincolnshire Runners-up Liz Knights, Walton Highway, Cambs; Peter King, Oxford
1A, 7A, 18A, 40A, 46A and 47A are all on the new Elizabeth Line, which appears in the grid when 25A, 26A and 27A are entered correctly. First prize Nick Huntley, DarlingtonRunners-up John Fahy, Thaxted, Essex; Heather Weeks, London SW1
The unclued Across lights were some of the radio communications alphabet and the unclued Down lights are part of the current Nato alphabet, all listed under ROGER (solution at 16 Across) in Brewer. ‘Uncle’ and ‘Victor’ are two further examples from the respective alphabets. First prize Revd John Thackray, Ipswich, Suffolk Runners-up Paul Harrison, Wilpshire,
The theme word was FORD (in line 4), and the sets of unclued lights were 1A, 20, 21 (makes of car), 18, 39, 43 (US presidents), and 11, 31, 33 (characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor). First prize Sue Pounder, Ashton-under-Lyne Runners-up Michael Moran, Penrith, Cumbria; Lucy Robinson, London N16
The seven unclued lights are BIRDs (36) minus one letter: (S)WAN (14), (G)ROUSE (18), P(H)EASANT (22), TE(A)L (40), S(W)ALLOW (7), R(O)OSTER (29) and S(K)IMMER (30). GOSHAWK (in the 9th column) was to be shaded. Title: cf. BI(R)D. First prize Oenone Green, Feltham, MiddlesexRunners-up Robert Stephens, Bearsted, Kent; Julia Jones, Pleshey, Essex
The unclued lights are or were commentators on (sTuMpS) TEST MATCH SPECIAL (which the green highlighted squares revealed). The paired names are 7/24, 8/25, 20/11 and 31/35. First prize Keith Wait, Twickenham, Middlesex Runners-up Jenny Mitchell, Croscombe, Somerset; Mike Garwell, Birmingham
The unclued lights can be followed by BILL. First prize Martin Dey, Hoylandswaine, Sheffield Runners-up M. Willey, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxon; Jean Whitney, Perry Barr, Birmingham
The five of a kind are stations on the Jubilee tube line in London, derived from: 26/27 (London Bridge), 40/41 (Stanmore), 46/47 (Waterloo), 3/34 (Baker Street) and 10/39 (Westminster). LOVELY JUBBLY (32/12D) suggests mispronounced praise. ORATE/ERATO were both accepted at 46A, as were SETTER/TESTER at 34D. Title: the line’s colour on tube maps. First prize
The unclued lights start with the trio JAN, the abbreviation for JANUARY which is ‘this month’ or ‘INST’, the puzzle’s title. First prize Thomas Williamson, Moygashel, Dungannon Runners-up Susan Bell, Reeth, N. Yorks; Richard Thorpe, Burntwood, Staffs
Two unclued lights are a title (three words) and its creator (two words). Remaining unclued lights are four names and eight titles (either singly or paired, including two each of two, three and four words and one of five words), each name being associated with two of the titles. The theme word connecting them all
Puzzle 2585 appeared on 10 December 2022, an anniversary of HUMAN RIGHTS DAY (at 1 Across) whose letters can be used to make the ten symmetrically placed unclued entries. The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10-12-48. First prize Kathleen Durber, Stoke-on-Trent Runners-up Dr Aidan Dunn, Newton Abbot, Devon; Ian
‘MANY A TEAR HAS TO FALL’ (10/30) is the first line of It’s All in the Game whose tune, originally called ‘MELODY IN A MAJOR’ (1D), was composed by Charles G. Dawes, a future NOBEL LAUREATE (40D/2) and was often played by FRITZ KREISLER (30/6). TALLEST (34): It’s ALL in the game (TEST). DAWES (diagonally
The unclued Across lights are British place-names beginning with P, L, A, C and E and the unclued Down lights are anagrams (i.e. they are ‘out of place’) of these place-names. First prize John Bartlett, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands Runners-up Sue Topham, Elston, Newark; Nicholas Grogan, Purley, Surrey
The numbered unclued lights reveal that ‘Lester Piggott won the Epsom Derby nine times’. Empery (10) and Nijinsky (21) were two of his winning horses. First prize Stephen Smith, Messing, Colchester, Essex Runners-up Andrew Dymond, London SE24; Belinda Bridgen, London NW8
The theme word is scales: 1D, 14 and 40 are creatures with scales; 5, 9 and 17 are musical scales; 13, 34 and 39 all gave their names of scientific scales. 33 was to be highlighted. First prize Mrs D. Selvidge, Vale, Guernsey Runners-up G. Snailham, Windsor; H.A. Hyman, London W1
