CROSSWORD

1241: Good company by Columba

A first prize of £25 and a bottle of Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1989 Port for the first correct solution opened on 15 January, with two runners-up prizes of £15 (or, for UK solvers, the latest edition of The Chambers Dictionary – ring the word 'Dictionary'). Entries '0: Crossword 1241, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WCIN 2LL.

Three unclued lights combine to form a description of the others.

Name Address ACROSS

1 Welfare work of party aces? (14, two words) 9 Jot half the alphabet (4) 14 Conrad's leader's aboard craft, in charge of a Pole (6) 16 I'm past last stage (5) 17 Brimstone is not for me! (5) 20 One with message about oxygen is scientist, right? (7)

21 Try, after tax returns, to cheer (7)

24Twist and turn to get mouse (7) 26 French tract left Dane bemused

(5)

34The 14, in 13, embodies it (7) 37 King is greeting sage (5) 38 Studies stomachs (5) 39 A close round that's turning epic (6) 40Opponent's stake declared (4) 42 Heater using ethyl and sodium 43 Males' les' charivari vexed RAF officer (14, hyphened)

DOWN

1 Monkey, male, climbing water wheel (6) 2 Partner takes care of dress, shedding it (5) 3 Fitting broken by page or poltergeist's action? (6) 4 Fibre for ropes and rough sails

(5) 5 Tempter's come into about half

of epic (7) 7 It's like mint: it can put out peseta (6) 8 Landing in thy university circle

(8)

13 Being cold is accepted by ascetic

(7) 15 Corinthians examined docked

escort vessel (8) 18 USA involved with decline of Middle-Eastern dynasty (10) 22 English for pottery; country not entirely covering Italy(7)

23 Last words in tutorial MA d, or

altered, cut (8) 27 Those honourably retired turned up to stop

sappers tu one-

time rising (7) 29 Follower of Bohemian's suit he's wayward (7) 30Gentleman's token, gold (6) 32 Gatecrasher (at ceilidh?) errs on mingling (6) 33 Close up from tense Alien (6)

35 Clipped the odd loose thread (5

Solution to 1238: Imperial

The other unclued lights, alone or correctly paired, were nicknames of NAPOLEON THE THIRD (13 40 18), of the SECOND EMPIRE (5 42). First prize: F. H. Bernard, Seaford, Sussex. Runners-up: A. Gibbons, Bricklehampton, Pershore, and Mrs. F. J. W. Gibson, Hill Lane, Bolton.