The unclued lights (three of two words, one of which has an apostrophe) are of two kinds.

Across

6 Eat away with genial wraith oddly (4,2)

12 Antibiotic disguised in nice pill (10)

14 He raises stock for reactor (7)

15 Second chapter on king and almost utterly mad literary character (4,6)

16 Medic enters to look round for old blunderbuss (7)

20 A country’s birds (4)

22 Intestinal trouble in Crete (7)

23 Cheat’s disappointment (4)

26 Currency of the red or blues distributed (7)

30 Runs by Hassett regularly upset old emperor (4)

31 Rough cowl on chimney in Portree (7)

34 Key that’s silver every so often (4)

36 No Dream arranged like Ansermet’s ‘Suisse’ orchestra (7)

38 Secret rivalry at home leading to struggle (2-8)

40 Cotton thread left by 34 (5)

41 Feeling of extreme anxiety left gunmen wandering (10)

42 Rainbow-coloured dress, first seen after I get up (6)

43 Tops gran knitted for a number (4-4)

Down

2 Thief jumping Carl and René (8)

3 Bit of spinach, fruit and asparagus stem (5)

4 Win a joust – south-eastern state lost out (7)

7 Cereal mixed for arbor vitae (6)

8 It sounds like a fish oil (5)

9 Small group caught de Falla’s hat (13)

11 French wine old boy knocked back with extra-large curries (9)

17 River in Chester and in Aberdeen (3)

18 Spirit lamps Greek characters placed round end of Parthenon (5)

27 Several with nothing to hide capsized in river (3)

28 South American crane from treacherous mire in salt water (7)

29 Frontiersman with individual in support (7)

32 Kill off grammar school activities (6)

33 Supported DUP, the old leaders having deserted (6)

35 Season hasn’t begun for Bury (5)

37 Passages made by Dutch among islands (5)

Download a printable version here.

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 31 October. 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, or post to: Crossword 2577, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery. The dictionary prize is not available at present.

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