CROSSWORD

A first prize of £25 and a bottle of Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1989 Port for the first correct solution opened on 13 May, with two runners-up prizes of £15 (or, for UK solvers, the latest edition of The Chambers Dictionary – ring the word `Dictionary'). Entries to: Crossword 1258, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WCIN 2LL.

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The 37 (one word) unclued ights are in 37 (two words).

Name Address ACROSS 1 Top officer, hard? That's a certainty (5)

4 Report gallery pieces amid hush (9)

10 Philosopher, sort not wholly retired, knows about silver and gold (10) 11 Ruffle, lapping very softly? (6) 12 Dearest possession you flog to the auditor (7, hyphened) 14 Low character's bowled, lacking firmness (5) 15 Foul sites head of swinery fastens? (5) 16 Where Virgil started timeless Latin handbook (6) 22 Turtle from 7 passing over lake twice (8) 24 Kept journal, going to Mecca (4

25 See)

odd characters in each crew

27 S(4 train voiced by many sailors (7) 32 Tufts opening on catkins in fine

places (6) 34 Aspiring to paint perhaps boisterous satyr ... (5) 35 ...on a spree? (5) 38 Earnest reply Anne's put out (10, hyphened) 39 Is non-committal friend of Copperfield after shilling? (9) 40 Case between cases (5)

• - r 0 t11

• ; DOWN 1 Potter's English in stuff I see is tense (10) 4 Female with style, rising 78? (7) 5 Clam in Asti worked like a charm (10) 6 To western Panama, Thursday: my course is by canal (7) 8 Tangled in net, mere ribbon- worm (9) 9 Boats for kids? (4) 13 Rare sirens about bar anger users of nets (7) 15 Brand including first-rate stuff sailors gulp (6, two words) 17 Tilt drink, having eaten duck up, and melon (10) 19 Instrument playing Bliss faded (10, two words) 20 Countryman's work, cracking whip with great success (9) 26 Settlement of Dee clan encircled (7) 28 Denies prophet's upset about future (7) 30 Mighty power o' wine (6) 31 Before entering spa, treated itch once (5) 34 The old wrap up, mostly (4)