CROSSWORD 895: Plain speaking by Jac

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 (or, for UK solvers, a copy of Chambers English Dictionary — ring the word `Dictionary') for the first three correct solutions opened on 27 February. Entries to: Crossword 895, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WCIN 2LL.

1 2 i 3 1 14 1

5

6

7 8 9 1 i • - _20 11

12 • 13

14

15

.16

17

8

19

21

-i-

2 32 38

23 27

n

■ 34

28 30 33

-4-1H-

1 ■■_ 29

35 H 1

36

39 37 1 . _

_____.

Chambers specifically indicates that 10 includes the other unclued lights (none of which begins with M). Three other lights are of two words, usually hyphened.

Name Address Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service. ACROSS 1 Fits with sound equipment terrible strain, having only two seconds to get up in!(14) 12 A let-out, once clear (4) 14 Above being heartlessly caught out in secret (6) 17 Peel? A female will! (5) 18 Top group's distress (5) 20 Slabs of frozen water afloat in a church in Spain, perhaps (7) 21 Homosexuality as is found in primitive man? Could be! (7) 23 Rowed when stripped (7) 24 Of itself, contains 200 juices (5) 25 Potter about in dark out East (5) 27 Beggars many fanatics (7) 30 In Zaire, heartless university men construct such camps (7) 32 Souvenirs that have it in for widows (7) 36 A measure of vision (5) 37 To gag's nowt for a monkey (5)

38 Medicinal concoction of iridium, iodine and carbon, containing astatine (6)

39 Girl's back wherein there's con- stant itches (4)

40 Instate mint measure of cnida (10)

42 Those writing commentaries in what 3 lacks go back and knock hers (14) DOWN 1 Ones producing endless essays (5

2 A) three-point quarter-turn machine for removing beards (5)

3 Must one provide such material? (6) 4 rects a sort of shrine (5) 5 They encourage those poking about (7) 6 Considers a point in repeated alternation (6) 7 Is, if upset, upset about follow- ing it and pays in full (9) 9 Holy book version of a serow god reared in Virginia ( I I) 11 Isolate with change of heart in store (6)

16 Payments due from Grantches- ter? Not possibly! (11)

19 Earth's one alternative devoted to spiritual life (8) 22 Promote a loan (7) 26 Gathers, as it were, for kicks (7)

28 Awkward, having Burundi's twitch! (6)

29 B — bingo? Must he drunk! (6) 31 Further break-down concerning the cheapest magazines? (6) 34 Follow-up for us in the evening

(5)

35 pNoostio (5) Nothing inferiorabout this de-