CROSSWORD

1039: Slanging match 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') for the first three correct solutions (please, no photocopies) opened on 30 December. Entries to: Crossword 1039, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

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4 5 ars 6

7 41

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■

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.r3

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III

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I

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• 2

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139

ialill

41 /ow

43

The unclued ghts include a phrase with a (disregarded) apos- trophe. One clued light is a proper name. Ignore an umlaut.

Name Address ACROSS

10 (4)Coptic bishop, a born academic

12 Marine organism? Positive, in fish and seaweed (10) 14 Fleet half lost in hostilities (3) 15 Honouring Browning? (8) 17 Man confronts fate, as serf (5) 19 Butler's girl in short play (6) 22 Feature of islet (NE) analysed as volcanic (6) 24 Kind to hoax one? (5) 26 I'd more gin? Could be stupefying (9) 27 English boy in border lake (9) 29 Faulty revs, none having auxili- ary power mechanism? (5) 31 Stone pitcher for one in hot bathtub (6) 34 Our Sicilian sort resettled in N. America (6) 36 Sharp point on flower (7) 38 Silly fool no end in drink (5) 39 Silver jars? Thanks, as before (8) 40 Healthy air, that was (3) 41 Arouse excitation? Yes! (10) 42 Old tax concession, in part (4) 43 Business centres – for neat trans- actions? (12, hyphened) DOWN 2 Aims, things I've concealed (10) 3 Maybe a Brontë title (7) 4 Spenser's easy to consume? Hard English (5) 5 Rambler in party at a deserted old track (9, hyphened) 6 Soaring marsh fowl? This area had plenty (6) 7 Express view, nothing long (5) 8 Thus monster rises (4) 9 Monarch in line, in noble hierar- chy (12, two words) 11 Tightrope walker or acrobat (8) 16 Polled vote, Tory's leader (3) 21 Urge to globe-trot? Stick with Ulster, maybe (10) 23 T' mad miser piled up, away from banks (9) 25 Use wrong letter, one in MS? Amend, we're told (8) 30 Detailed pattern of ancient law 6) ( 32 Score for piano, say (3)

35 Jamaican deity enthralls a saint (5)