Eight unclued lights are EXPERTS (24), whom — according to the words of LORD SALISBURY (9) supplied by superfluous and missing letters in definitions — ‘you never should trust’. First prize Mike Underwood, Auvillar, France Runners-up S. Riviere, Ansty, Wiltshire; Christine Twickel, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire
Twenty 9-letter items form a circular chain in which each item recycles eight of its letters into the next one. Eight of the items are unclued entries, seven are words which must be removed from clues before they can be solved, and five are thematic items. One of the thematic items and one of the
Unclued lights are anagrams of seaside resorts in southern England: Paignton (1A), Seaford (32), Margate (33), Ramsgate (40), Salcombe (7), Ryde (15), Looe (21) and Worthing (22D). First prize Don Thompson, Bolton Runners-up A. Mulholland, Nottingham; Wilf Lewsey, East Leake, Loughborough
Unclued entries are words or phrases whose meanings are not connected, but they are determined by the appearance in the grid of the last two lines of a poem, one word to each row. The first two lines of the poem appear in fourteen clues, whose answers do not touch the quotation in the grid,
Corrections of misprints in clues give PAPER OVER THE CRACKS, indicating the position of 12 in relation to the other unclued lights. First prize Kenneth M. Robb, Linlithgow Runners-up Alexander Caldin, Salford, Oxfordshire; Ben Stephenson, London SW12
The unclued lights (one of three words, one of two words and three doubly hyphened) might be named in a given order. Across 11 A large one, with fruit syrup in place of fruit (9) 12 What might go with rugby league? (5) 14 Respect the creeps (4) 15 ‘Slipper’, and what it ’asn’t
The first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Crossword Dictionary are awarded to the following. The first four prizewinners will, in addition, each receive a bottle of champagne. First prize Seamus McNeill, Belfast Runners-up Ms H. Piper, Chessington, Surrey; Sue Topham, Elston, Newark; Rhidian Llewellyn,
The unclued lights, (one of four words), can be arranged to form a quotation, verifiable in ODQ. One unclued light does double duty. Across 1 Ape hasn’t played some game (8) 6 Lawyer admitted to most of source of power of Jews (6) 13 Vicious Israeli (lacking eyes, they say?) demanded payment (5) 17 A
The key word is LOPHOBRANCH (7), defining 1A and 29A, and divisible into words of which synonyms are 20 and 36; 8A and 18; and 29D and 41. First prize R.C. Ingram, Wymondham, Norfolk Runners-up Catherine Ellis, Durham; P. West, Birmingham
Unclued lights are PRAYERS. Corrections of misprints (including one in the title) give REQUIESCAT and PATERNOSTER. First prize Patricia Gibbs, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire Runners-up R. Colclough, Didsbury, Manchester; Christine El-Kadi, Sarisbury Green, Southampton
Unclued entries (all real words) are not thematic unless they are augmented, in each case by a letter appearing in an appropriate place in the grid. The solutions at 6, 19, 29 and 40 are confirmed in the OED. Across 1 Marine plant-life treated as grass by duck (8) 8 Measure lack of aspiration shown