The unclued lights, either individually or as a pair, are of a kind. Ignore one accent.

 

Across

4 Read tea-leaves with nettle and flour ingredients (11, two words)
12 Rejected English found in pithy sayings (6)
14 Silent block (5)
19 Spare book (7)
21 Pay some Brazilian temp (4)
24 Ex-giant, literally (4)
25 Sarcophaga May left out (7, hyphened)
30 Farrier’s requisite to catch brownie first (7)
31 HM by empty taxi-rank (4)
32 Sailor’s confection for seabird (7)
34 Trees from eastern railway company, once (4)
35 Payment from a Spielberg remake, we’re told (7)
37 Manoeuvres involved spy round boundaries of Lesotho (5)
40 Climbing without a track to follow (5)
41 Timeless regulation adapted for brain tissue (9)
43 Appropriate instruction at Texan installation (7, hyphened)
44 Great pressure in the Senate, unusually (11, two words)

Down

1 It measures hardness from rotten smelter core (11)
2 How Mr Hyde composed verse (6)
3 Homes’ bronze coin (5)
5 Circular cross – gosh! (4)
6 Aftermath of hostilities up north (4)
7 But they are downs! (7)
8 Financed section of game and ran up debts (7)
10 Motorway alert broadcast about Scottish cripple (7)
15 Groups at half-time having time to sit, first (5)
17 Snaffle silver back from musical (7)
20 21 goes round and blows up! (7)
26 Elephant goad regularly turned up stuck on yak (5)
27 Its grey powder and lily turned up on screen picture (7)
33 Spenser’s handles on turn-stiles (6)
36 Tenanted land (5)

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 2 November. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers Dictionary instead of cash— ring the word ‘Dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2233, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.