41 (four words) suggests the other unclued lights – which are individual examples (not group names) of a kind – and how they must be entered in the grid. All answers are in Chambers.

 

Across

8 American twice rejected West African (4)

11 Like some plants you’d set in cold ground without oxygen (14)

12 One’s fired head dismissed from private school (5)

14 Insect-eating rodent moving lightly (7)

16 On the job, one way or another (4, two words)

21 No good place for putting ditch (4)

22 Noble king left to appear later (4)

23 Titans of business, one admitting defeat (7)

25 Kind of acid – it blocks most of neck pain (6)

26 Glimpse in newspaper, customarily (6)

28 Regretted hiding key that’s delivered (7)

31 A fly-by-night husband following Irish girl (4)

32 Cancel country club party (4)

35 Writer from Shetland moving around (8)

36 Paler, suffering old illness (5)

37 American city regressing once more (4)

39 Arterial road city almost developed (7)

40 Mug shot’s frame, one from Europe (5)

42 Endless row in school once (4)

43 Bet cat gets crushed after gently running free (8)

 

Down

1 Rebel about to maintain high acid level of soil (7)

2 Daughter with needle or dagger (4)

3 Pile for Scot also with lots of Cambodian money (6)

4 Men protecting case of young spiders (7)

5 Lift up recipe at home for purgative (8)

7 Celebrating Noel, missing parties (11)

8 Navy in the drink to follow a winding course (5)

9 Liquor stalls set to hold posh officer up (9)

10 Compilers concocted fuel that’s valuable (6)

13 Calls to limit obstacle for butterflies (8)

15 One making weak malt? Carouse wildly! (11)

24 Set of organic compounds for now storing zero energy (8)

27 Strips locks from hotel, one in awful ruins (7)

29 Spectacles, say, of English tree and some wheat (7)

31 Court in poor area raised fines (6)

33 Verse oddly titled for lady (6)

34 What predators do in communications with bird (5)

38 Clothed king, clothed by contemptible fellow (4)

 

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 21 March. 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. Apologies that there may be a delay in sending out prizes at present.

 

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