24 FEBRUARY 1996, Page 51

CROSSWORD

A first prize of £25 and a bottle of Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1989 Port for the first correct solution opened on 11 March, with two runners-up prizes of £15 (or, for UK solvers, the Chambers Dictionary — ring the word `Dictionary'). Entries to: Crossword 1249 The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

The upcoming 14, if taken litera ly, may be marked with the other unclued lights (which arise in 13). One light is of three words, one of two. Ignore two accents.

Name Address ACROSS 1 Capital form of rare contralto, holding a note well (8) 8 Lamb's not bright, following you and me about (4) 12 Pedlar of porcelain without a regret retired (10) 15 Tribe around Utah: aged mandarin's family? (8) 19 How 41 is when it's been hacked? (9) 20 Soak rank rag (4) 21 Beat, then bowled, provider of target (4) 24 Substitute's one among rest bemused by centre from Gazza

27 S(6 auce reduced further? No (6) 29 Shell mixed up with AA (4)

30 Runner's caught a monkey (4) 34 I'm denounced for writing tons 37 Vocal censure needled reciter of Homer (8) 38 Has ogre spoilt surroundings?

39 Up) set by ale (6) 40 Coat covering smoother

aerofoils (10) 41 Corner of box, for instance (4) 42 Get foul grub turning to house fly (8) DOWN 2 Move on from Java untiringly 3 Missile ssile curves, missing para (5) 4 Do letters from caller come in it? (14, two words) 5 Bloke I introduced to fabulous bird of Latin origin (7) 6 Guides young oxen, bounding about (8) 7 Milton's slow, forlorn and gentle pipes (14, hyphened) 9 Troubled heads to reflect upon uppity Dogberry's language (4) 10 Catch at pirate (6) 11 Wolf shows joy, cutting opening in fold (6) 16 Abandon battle (5) 17 American donkey's quiet way of working (4) 25 Goat and hart, both wild (4) 28 Thing with hood? Limping, it may go on road (7) 30 Saint (sleuth) discerned US- style tap (6) 31 Take into account lovelorn demigod: Cupid? (6) 33 Warm sun lifts depression (6) 35 Tremulous tone psaltery partly set up (5)

Solution to 1246: Cheesy First prize: W. B. Henderson, Leatherhead, Surrey. Runners-up: G. H. Cowan, Ruislip, Middlesex; F.H. Bernard, Seaford, East Sussex.