CROSSWORD

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 for the first three correct solutions opened on 28 November. Entries to: Crossword 884, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

6

JL

7 8

9

10

11

2

13

U14 1

15

6

17

1

ill

19

20

25

26

27 28

29

30

31

34

35

U.

II

36

37

The seven unclued lights — one of two words one of two words plus a third, and four others when correctly paired — provide four examples of the title, which also indicates Jac's 600th puzzle for The Spectator.

Name Address Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service. ACROSS

1 Lax society's need (5)

9 Jasper's kindred s-spirit (10) 12 An adept Aussie, to work alone when mother's about! (7) 14 See 24 (5) 15 Initially spells needless trouble for a crawler (5)

16 Look it up in the middle, having burst (6)

23 One entitled to shut one finally out (7) 24 Spike's dead? 14! (4) 25 Plant form fish turn into (4) 27 Some maybe did, without being arranged in bundles (7) 29 Plot of short story about IVR mix-up (8) 34 Spenser's was spoken of as a beastly group (5) 35 A hand-cart carrying one's light- er (5) 36 Milton's godless articles nothing to us? (7) 37 Branches out mid-July — China grass? (6) 39 Organ stop part, of course (9) 40 Twist the tail off 3 (5) DOWN

1 Goose-crow or pig-seal (10)

2 Geographical feature everything turns upon (5) 3 Embraces a number of trees (6) 4 Growth of a number with no- thing on a draw (7) 5 Alarm bandicoots raised (7) 6 Palindromic penguin (5) 7 Within limits, a confused horse's complaint? (9) 8 Oriental lass on a par with Shakespeare (4) 15 Game for a drink (6) 17 It's a Communist rising in sup- port of enemy auxiliaries (9) 18 Part of a body of sailormen having a party aboard (7) 19 Secures object in Council abroad (10) 20 Oddly trite end for a State river- craft (9) 21 Caught a king being cut dut (6)

26 Argue with point Pluto put first (7)

28 New England raised species of chard having the imotoxylem on the inner edge (7) 30 It's capital, right, raising a thrill (6) 31 Fly bearing in Jock's omen (5) 33 There's money in money? It makes one quail! (5) 34 Henry Ford's capital drink (4)