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
Four pairs of unclued lights (17/5, 22/27, 29/31 and 8/26) form anagrams of the titles (one hyphened, three of three words) of novels by an author whose name is clued without definition. Across 1 Apportioning silver crooked nursemaid pinched (11)7 Being in French city without local friend (3)11 Sickness in Vermont and Maine infected America
Eight unclued lights are of a kind with the 3 of the 30. Elsewhere, ignore two accents. Across 1 Nick is sound (5) 10 Category containing almost pure red rose (rambling) (10) 11 Universal spirit and life-force in Chinese city (6) 14 Lass did it, backed not by Pabulum (5) 15 Bill brightened retired
‘10/17’ give the first three words of a statement (in ODQ) made by a famous 48/21. His works include 1A/23D (four words in total) and The 44. His forename is the remaining unclued light; the puzzle’s title suggests his surname. The fourth word (hyphened) of the statement will appear diagonally in the grid and must
Across unclued lights (one of two words) combine with down ones to suggest the surnames of four famous English painters; the puzzle’s title suggests the name of a fifth. The fifth letters of these names form STARS. Elsewhere, ignore three accents. Across 11 Leading soldier and cardinal are to stick together (6) 13 Uncouth
19 October marks a milestone (hinted at by 19/26/20) for a person whose real forenames are given by 1A (three words). The other unclued lights (including two of two words, one being a toponym) suggest the titles of four of his works while the puzzle’s title suggests the title of a fifth. His real surname
1A (four words) and 44 (four words) are quotations from the first verse of a poem (in ODQ). Five remaining unclued lights are examples of 1A, while 44 might be a comment on the other four. The poet’s initials will appear upwards in the completed grid and must be shaded. Across 9 Food for