The unclued lights (one of two words and one hyphened) when preceded by a five–letter word are phrases listed in Brewer. Solvers have to locate and highlight this five-letter word which appears as an inverted L in the completed grid.

Across

1    Enter the world with thick hair concealing head (5)
4    Abandons damaged chest of drawers, having lost the CD (9)
9    Proficiency with or without sporting award (10)
11    Major’s wife cuts sailor’s bar short (5)
12    Cocktail attachment (7)
14    Give in and give out (5)
15    Give a clue concerning ‘tape’ (5)
16    River — one other one. Gracious! (6)
24    They are fired from pub parlour, on reflection (4)
25    Last of the American soldiers offering protection (4)
27    Official entitlement for unrestrained US immorality (7)
28    Easy assignment that makes others smoke (8, two words)
33    Rib the monarch about succession? On the contrary (6)
34    Release topless relative (5)
35    Hebrew festival has record backing (5)
37    Poles seizing old vessels, returning without a break (7, hyphened)
38    Notes 30 missing cars (5)
39    Set in motion, run in with trophy and drink (10, two words)
40    Persuaded to take wrong course having ordered salted fish (9, two words)
41    Industrious students and simpleton 2 (5)

Down

2    A panel on a ship (6)
5    Instrument that’s not broken evenly (4)
6    Passing quietly on oarsman’s seat? (7)
7    From the Orient, numbers of old giants (5)
8    Salinger is disturbed and makes a new group (8)
10    News announcements with instructions to unlock? (13, two words)
13    Showing no fear wee lass jumps (7)
15    US conscript down the drain? (6)
17    Freebie adverts for the aircrew? (6)
19    Sort out central Nauru — new leader has an ill-tempered response (7)
20    Here, the French catch cold — freezing conditions cause this (6)
23    Description of eleven’s type of meeting (8, doubly hyphened)
26    Second drink — fortified wine (7)
32    Opinion of Kiev is tarnished (5)
36    Bird others knocked over (4)

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 6 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 2332, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.