Crossword

2634: Word chain

The eight six-letter unclued lights half-overlap each other and so yield a complete word chain beginning with any one of them.         Across    1    Complex U-turn before end of lane. Wrong! (6)    7    That woman’s returning remains of make-over (6) 11    Boss has to grovel for LA brawn (4,6) 13    Old manuscript containing

2633: Highly critical

The unclued entries (two of one word, two of two words, two of three words) combine to form a quotation. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.         Across    1    Promotions to fix in commercial vehicles (12) 10    Eager pupil’s plea for online phenomenon (4) 12    Cockney dish rose, having turned end (3,1,4,2) 14    Remark further problem

2632: Troublesome situation

Unclued lights (including one hyphened) are of a kind. The theme word must be highlighted in the grid. Across 1    Require clothing true eccentric altered (8) 8    Axes reportedly in bags (4) 11    Anything mischievous gets uncovered (5) 13    Sadly hugging Romeo, starts to offer love and pines (7) 14    Roman scholar in V&A takes

2631:Nine capitalists

The unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer with the help of the red squares which must be read in order row by row. Ignore one apostrophe and an acute accent, elsewhere. Across 9    Terrible President out on a limb at heart, troubled (10) 14    Courier company raises its charges (3) 16    Make

2630: Souvenir

The 37 and 38 evoke 16D 22A/26, once 19 26, the 19 being 6 at the 41 5, 41 26 and 41 13.          Across    1    Language school opened by Republican state (8) 11    Repeatedly check bones in historical operation (10) 14    Sweet red Dutch headwear (8) 16    US city king boxes to

2629: Urban renewal

Unclued lights, including one of two words, are anagrams of words of a kind. Solvers must highlight two pairs of clued answers which are anagrams of two further examples.         Across    1    Recited end of epic with ghosts (8)    8    Special forces protecting large trees (4) 11    Oddly, Ivor ain’t a Welshman (4)

2628: Customary taxes

The unclued lights (one hyphened and plural, and another in the past tense) are of a kind, all verifiable as such in Chambers, most of them on a specific page.         Across    1    One son half-naked, at first, during old broadcast (12) 10    Bird losing head and part of foot (4) 12    Series of files

2627: Chronicled lives

Eight unclued lights are of a kind. Their unchecked and mutually checked letters can be rearranged to spell TOY OF A PARISH DEACON. Across 1    Tramp with extremely dirty pet (5) 10    Believe cad misguided and open to being misled (10) 12    UK dramatist wreathing US city in bunting (7) 14    Flagged cab at last

2626: Eternal youth

Unclued lights name an authoress (two lights), her hero (two lights), his group (one light, two words), and its members (mostly human). Across 4    Stimulant gets lad near to collapse at home (9) 10    FBI agents after government department: time to clean up files (10) 14    In mill channel pressure rose suddenly (5) 15    Labourer

2625: Playtime

The unclued lights (one of two words) and four others clued without their thematic definition are of a kind. Across 1    Two little boys tapped their heads (6)7    Birettas seldom reveal this tuft (6)13    US challenge to foil and dismiss at the wicket (5)14    Material from The Spectator, London (5)17    Salary and gratuity, collected by

2624: Him and her

Each Across unclued light is associated in the same way with a Down one (one of two words).         Across    1    In small conurbations, transport deficiencies (10)    7    Walk from Piraeus to Athens (4) 15    Huge resistance from masculine self-importance? I wonder (6) 18    PM’s residence about to receive first of rock stars

2623: Half-day closing?

29 29-36’s 14 13 31 25 1D 2 24, in which 1 Down and 24 are each non-words that concatenate two real terms. Unchecked, unclued letters spell out SEXY DUTCH X-MAG.         Across    1    Fling marauder off base, across main road (7,6)    9    Husband going inside can slim (4) 11    Distinguished mayor’s robing

2622: Local call

The unclued lights (six of two words and one of three words), one pair or individually, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Ignore one apostrophe.         Across    1    Declare nothing will stop crime, causing disgust (8)    6    Attack, losing head in drinking bout (6) 11    Objects to intellects (5) 13    Young

2621: Faux

You can calculate 48 by 1 + 47 (ten words in total). However, 21 32 12 23 47 (nine words in total). The remaining unclued lights are the two authors who said so.         Across 14    Not so sure judge needs latitude to be good (6) 17    Sacred halls rebuilt in poor area (7) 18   

2620: The right name?

Paired unclued lights are an author and his eponymous characters. Crossing letters in 7D suggest the name in the title; solvers must correct this, entering the character’s real name by changing the contents of four cells, always making real words.         Across    1    A mob alas with disorder of gut (8) 11    I head

2619: All Grieg to me

The unclued lights, (four of two words), when arranged correctly, yield a famous TV quotation. One word does double duty; ignore an apostrophe too.         Across    4    Oblige to provide lodgings? (11) 11    Spanish food of peas cooked with everybody inside (7) 14    Gave a present that’s not about to be old-fashioned (5) 19   

2618: Chain gang

Eleven unclued entries may be connected from 38 to 17, their unchecked letters spelling out CHAIN’S PAIRS, WE AGREE?         Across    1    Maximum animosity reported (4)    3    Vineyard by cross (4)    5    Losing starter, rubbish service is behind (6)    9    Again communicate on mobile in van (10) 16    Mostly free car

2617: Enzed scorers

The 12 thematic unclued lights form the second half of an alphabetical list, one solution finally and another first and last. Across  4    Kitty stewed apricots as single snack (6,5) 11    Saw English animals (7) 13    Around Tyneside Freddie New established new credentials (9) 21    Forty winks before beginning to exercise back of neck (4)

2616: Atomic scorers

The thirteen thematic unclued lights form the first half of an alphabetical list. Ignore all accents. Across 10    Cut-throat chap’s birds (10) 13    Behavioural stimulus affected Earl 8 (8) 16    Girl in chains? (5) 17    Skilfully handled – after a stroke? (7) 18    White van going across Indian territory first (7) 20    Revised asking price

2615: Bronze pile

Unclued lights give the names (one of two words) of some members of a distinguished group. A further member is the answer to a clued light and should be highlighted. One name does double duty. Across 1    Enclose wife in vaulted chamber (8) 5    Mean times approaching (6) 14    Hard ball of wood found in