CROSSWORD

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 (or, for UK solvers, a copy of Chambers Dictionary, value £12.95 — ring the words 'Chambers Dictionary' above) for the first three correct solutions opened on 23 December. Entries to: Crossword 787, The Spectator 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

The unclued lights are if a kind One other light is of two words and two are hyphened.

Name Address

1a11F2 410 4

6 '7

112 r 17 16 i I Lr--- 111. LI 1

35

37

17-7;

r6

1 r_9_

36 40

ACROSS 1 Old style policeman is, in Queer Street, a 3D expert? (13) 8 Mound of fruit (4) 12 In combination, a bill of lading's overcharge (4) 14 'Animal Farm' — centre one ex-con returned to (6) 16 Species of aphis often found on a horse (5) 17 Many inside can walk (5) 20 Ties up stories about a strait (7) 21 One down-trodden girl inwardly endlessly formal (7) 24 Turned on, everything becomes plain (5) 25 Stinging split-turn ahead (5) 27 Start of play about one wearing an anemone (7) 30 Thorny sort of panties (7) 32 Are tightly drawn round a rep- tile (7) 36 Craft an athlete's without (5) 38 Shakespeare's equally, for inst- ance, a friend (6) 39 Maybe 40's time to float (4) 40 Tree-people who take depravity to heart (10) 41 Could be sixty-one less where athletes exercised (4) 42 They help throw light on one type of furniture (13) DOWN

1 Some originally smart slush (5)

2 Spenser's steep land-lock (5) 3 Say nothing — one's mark is selfishness (6) 4 Pound coin for the Bard (5)

5 Ep!qual record? Rise and drink u 6 City(7 in

part taken in by it? (6) 9 Work for one in Birmingham in disgrace (10) 11 Tree we finally climb, perhaps (6), 13 In a state, a worthless Persian cat (7) 18 Achieves the status quo ante in control over America? (10)

19 Paternal upset prior to birth (8) 21 Certainly good advice for a scep- tic (9) 26 It fixes it up on a roundabout pile-up, say (7)

28 Risk a fortune (6)

29 It wraps a rodent up in cloth (6) 31 Metal-worker under control (6) 35 Girls' testimonials (5) The solution to Crossword 784 is on page 62. Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service.