The NATIVITY (89) of the ACTOR (37) HUMPHREY BOGART (47/13), the singers ANNIE LENNOX (112/12) and IAN BOSTRIDGE (4/61), the prolific BAT (34) ALASTAIR COOK (124/119), the colourful writer QUENTIN CRISP (90/92), the outré TV star KENNY EVERETT (97D/82), the expert at ‘THE PLAYING OF THE MERRY ORGAN’ (16/6/38) ORLANDO GIBBONS (99/1), the film producer
Ten pairs of unclued lights give the names of people whose 89 was ‘50D/2A’ (six words in total). They include one 37, two singers, a prolific 34, a colourful writer, an outré TV star, an expert at ‘16/6/38’ (six words in total), a film producer, a mathematician who also watched ‘128/103/10’ (five words in total)
Clockwise round the grid from 2 runs a quotation (5,3,3,5,6,4,3,4,3,3,4,5) followed by the poet’s first name. Her second name is a clued light which shares a letter with her surname which appears diagonally in the completed grid. Two pairs of unclued lights (including one of two words) give the titles of two of her novels.
Clockwise round the grid from 20 runs a quotation minus one word (1,2,4,4,4,1,4,1,5,4,4,9) followed by an honest servant’s name. Unclued lights exemplify the missing word. The source of the quotation appears in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 9 Charlie neglected very famous philosopher (5) 10 Boxer a little below par offering excuse
Unclued lights can be arranged so that, preceded by ‘What is’, they form a question whose answer solvers must shade. Ignore a hyphen. Across 1 Matlows flying from atelier on fire in hacienda (11, three words) 11 Fish swimming again around noon (6) 13 First son wrestles with eighth (7) 15 A punch followed by
Unclued lights (including three of two words and two pairs) suggest various versions of a name given by a pair of successive clued lights which solvers must shade. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 12 Excited oxen pressing round me in poet’s garment (7) 13 Minotaur’s cross (3) 15 Believer in divine wisdom shows photo she
Clockwise round the grid from 34 run the answers (6,6,5, 11,4,3,7,4) (one hyphened) to eight riddles followed by the riddler’s name. Two pairs of unclued lights give the name of the riddler’s brother and the nature of the riddler. Shaded squares will give the letters of a relevant name. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 7
Ten unclued lights (including four pairs) are of a kind. Ignore two hyphens and an apostrophe. What could have induced this puzzle will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 1 Eminent composer gives great cellist inspiration (7) 9 Sin doesn’t start somewhere in church (4) 12 Piece of lead turned
Six unclued lights are the names of traditional English county towns with one letter misprinted so as to form new words. The correct letters could give 26, examples of which are 1A, 17 and 22A. Across 7 Sound of kitten in hiding-place (3) 11 Mechanical playwright heard E strings (6) 13 Aberdonian angler with chatter
Clockwise round the grid from 3 run seven dramatis personae; unclued lights give anagrams of two more. The play’s title will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Ignore two apostrophes. Across 8 Dauntless bishop stops teen dude dressing up (10) 9 Troy fell in this manner (4) 10 Bury takes on Italian
Two contrasting film stars allegedly said ‘1A’ (five words) and ‘49/27’ (six words in total). Remaining unclued lights (including one of three words and two pairs) give the birthplace of one and the place where the other died and the titles of two films in which they starred. Solvers must shade the two clued lights
December 12th was the birthday of two famous men. Unclued lights (including one of five words, one of two words and a pair totalling four words) give their surnames, two examples of each one’s work, and the birthplace of one. The birth-place (7) of the other will appear in the completed grid and must be
Unclued lights are defined by extra words in ten clues and are anagrams of ten of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore an apostrophe. Across 9 Medic with hate for compound medication (4)12 Leper snubbed lethargic Arab (5)13 Mark is very into Islay’s liquor (5)14 A software user acquiring flash technology (5)16 Rugged harrier names ruthless smuggler
Clockwise round the grid from 3 run three song titles (totalling 13 words) with 3D/16 (five words in all) giving a fourth. The lyrics of the first two songs were written by someone sharing a surname with the lyricist of the other two. This name (6) will appear in the completed grid and must be
Unclued lights are ten words taken from a poem quoted in ODQ. The poet’s name (two words) will appear diagonally in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 1 Raise a fuss about street urchins (8) 11 Mercury, say, in the sky (7) 12 Joanna shrinks following advance of insects (5) 13 Musician’s fine
Unclued lights are anagrams of Shakespearean characters. These lights are defined by surplus words in eight clues. Across 1 Recreational areas exhibit special advantages (13, two words) 9 Athletic blue bound by IOU? As if! (7, three words) 11 Muddling along with me, my monkey and ape matter (7) 14 How Wasps may be: Anglo-Saxon
Clockwise round the grid from 11 run, in chronological order, the titles (7,7,7,9,2,8,2,10) of five works by an author whose original name was 25/40/5/16. Solvers must shade the two clued lights that give the author’s nom de plume. Twenty-five special clues contain a definition and a concealed letter mixture of the light. Elsewhere, ignore an
The same word appears as seven headwords in Chambers. Unclued lights (including two pairs and one of three words, one of two) indicate the meaning of six of them. The word (4) will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 9 Half-dead ryot’s thirsty (4)11 Fit PM adopts Latin not a little
Unclued lights (including one of two words) suggest a section of a sequence whose final member will appear in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 1 Theseus at last goes in to batter brute (5)4 Crossed children’s author dogged by pressman (9)9 Alkaloids exist with the smell of ale (almost) (10)11 Head king
Unclued lights are anagrams of ten of a kind. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. Across 9 A model cure fixed skin condition (10)14 Lass bumpkin snubbed (3)16 Prisoner saves rodent a piece of crust (6)17 Found tree blocking highway (5)18 Baseballer’s innings in Somerset city curtailed (5, hyphened)20 Sliding in dicky part of church (7) 22
