CROSSWORD 799: Old crocks by Doc

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 (or, for UK solvers, a copy of Chambers Dictionary, value £13.95 — ring the words 'Chambers Dictionary' above) for the first three correct solutions opened on 30 March. Entries to: Crossword 799, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

4 5 6 7 1 12 13 4 — 16 611111.

17 20 27 22 23 24 25 28 31

WP

26 34 35 36 37

38

1

39

40

at 42

43

The unclued ights (one of two words), individually or when correctly paired, are of a kind and one includes an accent.

Name Address Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service. ACROSS 1 First-year students barter, jost- ling around food counter (14, two words) 11 Pass one who's not what he was a blend of tea (5) 12 Heavy blow, being an ace! (4) 13 Howls about lines. Aye! (5) 15 He studies mountains or birds' eggs without a note (10) 17 Girl of forlorn appearance (5) 20 Stretch of water relocated with ease (8, two words) 21 Group of musicians turn up with company, on return (6) 23 Plunder baggage (4) 26 Sandy tract also included by the French (5) 27 Feel repugnance about degree of noise (5) 30 It's blocked, crowded and de- serted! (6) 31 Hissing sound of tin bails flying 36 )

steady for a contest (5, hyphened)

38 Robust female having a pair in varying amounts (10, two words) 39 Touch — a gesture taking time

(7)

40 Rodent and sloth consuming in- nards (5) 42 Fish swallowing sun-god's de- cree (5) 43 The aged warrior, confused, ex- pressed anger (14, three words) DOWN

2 Worms fail badly, needing air rising (7)

3 10 sellers may be stern (10) 5 Oats holder (5) 6 Love dire riots, does he? (8, hyphened) 7 Department's lack of doctors, it seems (5) 8 Perform the first act live with artifice (5) 9 Revives with two doses of sup- port and love and vitality (14, three words) 10 The girl's nothing for demigod (4) 18 Titi's not in to make a milk pudding (4) 19 Play for time, misleading green stable-keeper (10) 25 Part of church which will cave in? Not the upper half (4) 32 An. hour in a bank in India (6) 33 Drink suggested by Gilbertian character (5) 34 Distinction, we hear, can be got over (5) 37 What, finally, a nephalist has to make lace (4)