CROSSWORD 900: Extra-condensed by Mass

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' above) for the first three correct solutions opened on 3 April. Entries to: Crossword 900, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

1 2

3

4 5 i

10

11 12

13

14

15

16

17

18

119

20 ■ 21

22

23 I

24

!fir

25

■ •

1135

26

I

127

30

132

33

34

36

ill

38

39 41

40

42

43

Four starred clues yield lights. All other roman clues yield answers to be anagrammed, plus or minus a letter, to form the lights (one hyphened). The italic definitions give a word and the light formed from it by adding or removing a letter. The unclued lights (indicated in capitals) are variously apt, and include two partici- ples. 23 is a prefix. Chambers gives all but 7, 12 and 41.

Name Address ACROSS

1 Part of church depicting Saint in crazy pattern (8)

6 Swollen, roared without io- dine 12 IDIOM (three words)

13 Themes: letters

14 Thins out fires

15 IDIOM (three words)

16 Bat cracked audibly: one needs linseed around?

20 Handle immediately

22 Wood about turned for trades- man 23 Quickly rejected Eastern snare

24 Suspends those believing in God's existence

26 Negotiates free feasts 30 Cheat woman in Europe 31 Agrees with that man among those in Paris 34 Measure monetary units abroad 36 Opposes pieces in game 38 IDIOM (three words) 39 Outrage about lake fisherman 40 Pointed weapon — brand 41 IDIOM (three words)

42 Swimming stroke: move dogged- ly

43 Wages in money? Girl has sense, being short (8, hyphened)* DOWN 2 Weapons for gunners on jetties 3 Rowing with love over a call

4 Active at show-jumping, going flat out? 5 US cash bribe Ed cleaned up

6 Burn once flowed, long ago •

7 Indian skunk 'ad turned up (6) 8 Run on strong material

9 PHRASE (two words) 10 WORD (13) 11 WORD (9)

17 Giant seaweed 18 Team lapse

19 WORD (9)

21 Dark old glycerine compound

25 A fit Eastern goddess 27 Take care of spread grass

28 Student of French in back place

29 Croon around pond, reeling in 32 Redeem oddly limited Shake- spearian (6)*

33 Bristles, furrows 35 Benefactor, way out?

37 Part-time secretary, little short of speed The solution to Crossword 897 is on page 50. Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service.