Clockwise round the peri-meter go two lines of a topical verse, thirteen words altogether. (The barred off square divides the lines.) The other unclued lights are some possible collectors’ items.

Across

9 Half more oil, cooking white radish (5)

13 Decide to leave work with solicitor (6, two words)

15 Church land welcomes bishop in song (5)

16 Teaching is alien to a number (5)

17 Small idea in fictional language not working (7)

21 Being a keyboard player, acquiring money (not tons) (8)

23 Pardon pronounced for Scottish engineer (4)

24 Plump, finish off sandwich (5)

27 Worse than leg being stretched out (7)

30 River of mixed colour including red, we hear (5)

32 Impression hamster perhaps has not got run over (4)

35 Parable about everyone looking less healthy (8)

38 Sleazy American guy loses uniform to Pole (5)

41 Gland, real and unreal (7)

43 Hyrax eventually killed a person (5)

44 Rascals’ mask is slipping (6)

45 Intertwine, in broad Scots (5)

46 Hurried, about to desert (5, two words)

Down

2 Twelve going to Spain? Twelve fewer, actually (5)

3 Having lots of eggs you want to get rid of? (5)

4 Stays in another’s home with wrong shoes and suit (9, hyphened)

5 Bawdiness universal in American farm (6)

6 Boot properly muddy in the end (5)

10 More garrulous, leave book stand (7)

12 The main river is to dry up (4)

18 Indo-Chinese king meets Her Majesty the Queen (5)

19 I am past the final growth stage (5)

25 Not entirely harmful narrowing of a bone (5)

26 Mention perhaps Hamlet’s stoop (5)

28 It may be in pond each year in rustic idyll (7, two words)

31 Horse’s joint suppressing one jerk (5)

33 Dead wrong, in charge of old Icelandic works (6)

36 Prophet unknown during a long time (4)

37 Long story about the end of time (5)

39 Curse inhibits Irish child (5)

40 Only these upright comments on website? (5)

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 17 May. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk – the dictionary prize is not available. We will accept postal entries again at some point.

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