Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions. The solutions have then to be fitted into the grid, jigsaw-fashion.
A Striving for scope backing number one (8)
A Tense lover short of money (6)
B Child’s first book and game (10)
C Mark in vehicle beside French joiner (5)
C Made money around outhouse (6)
C Work together and endlessly train before start of tournament (5)
C He always gets the sack (7)
C Long knives trimmed members (7)
D Could be an oxide, almost, or toxic liquid (6)
D Had Cressida in charge mixing sugars (13)
D Medic with work in decline (4)
E Very odd, as always, that is (5)
F Polecat swaps tail for Hepburn’s husband (6)
G Nazi working outside emergency room (7)
G Instruments from half the tour officials and mariners (7)
H The sort that love? (7)
I Intestines from Troy, reportedly (5)
I From list select new maniple (7)
I Reason why I inspect my IOU, maybe! (13)
I Chips in true prints repaired (10)
J One spirit or another, we hear (4)
K Snakes bringing currency to islands (6)
L Lalo and Nin chewed the fat (7)
M I left girl with a Welsh one from Pacific Islands (10)
M Friar’s grain (5)
M Linguistic units change shape and seem different (9)
N No nurse organised cells (7)
N Groups’ fishing difficulties? (6)
O Dispensers’ science (6)
P Pockets a large sum (4)
Q Mechanical fruit (6)
R Further reviews of leases covering Jenny and me (13)
R The sound of the Three Choirs Festival? (6, hyphened)
S Directions to town in France. No — Spain! (7)
S Status of Mick Jagger, say, at Callanish? (13, two words)
S Kept going, but suffered (9)
T Conform beside girl in Spain (10, three words)
U Sub-note about neckwear (5, hyphened)
U Water spirits finally seen in pants? (7)
V Cut up half a dozen civets into pieces (8)
W Lost confidence in security once about one lieutenant (6)
X Turnover in plastic gulls? (4)
Y Complain about month by sea in Calais (6)
Z Unknown in the tattered top (6)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 4 September. 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 2323, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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