CROSSWORD

A first prize of £25 and a bottle of Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1988 Port for the first correct solution opened on 16 October, with two runners-up prizes of £15 (or, for UK solvers, the Chambers Dictionary — ring the word 'Dictionary'). Entries to: Crossword 1229 The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

The unclued lights (one of two words cover similar ground. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.

Name Address ACROSS 9 Choose gold over silver plate (7) 11 Biannual event, mostly horsy -

neat? (7) 12 One went to port (5) 14 Type of ensemble music (6) 17 Sounder conduct (4) 20 Tea, posh? Very, by jingo! (7) 21 Crazed sackers causing shrill

cries locally (7) 23 I step close to gunwale aboard ship (7) 24 Maintain old established clothing firm (5) 25 Stocks including new securities

27 (5 Ru)

mour going round keeps nothing private (7) 30 Be soaked, after sun, in sweat

(7)

31 Mali has wild wind in desert (7) 36 Mercury wearing silly hat is cross (5) 38 Deep in retreat, Irish gods (5) 39 Aim Tell managed this high is unsurpassed (7, hyphened) 40 Index, endlessly exotic, about pop (7) DOWN 1 Annoying extremes of perverse weather (5) 2 Money supports sterling area 3 Numbers mbers joined rising in Paris, wanting equality (5) 4 So tern scattered observers? (6) 5 Church can upset the French coterie (7) 6 Odd sorcerer creates stir (7) 7 Excited eleven, carried away (6) 10 Clobber licit on hols when one's stripped off? (10) 18 Libertine, coming in stoned, spun round (10) 21 Hoards sailor espied? Indeed (9, two words) 22 Stuff that is food for Scots (7) 26 E.g. Porgy and Bess finally do

pair off (7) 28 Reporter respecting former king

(7)

29 From Daniel, lion impressions

(6)

30 A lama's curious greeting (6) 32 Bowled, when batting? That'll make you sink! (5) 33 Drink with honey before getting in sack? (5) 34 Mere clip on the ear (5)

Solution to 1226: In the event

The unclued lights were words or phrases beginning with HOP (3D, 20D, 31D), SKIP (25A, 2D, 5D) or JUMP (24A, 30D, 36D).

First prize: J. D. Hulme, Tonbridge, Kent. Runners-up: J. S. Roberts, Lewes, East Sussex; Santo Berenato, New York, USA.