An anniversary (1A, three words) today offers ten unclued entries, all of whose unchecked and cross-checking letters spell out HAHA! DRY GINS ASSURING TRASHY ANAGRAMS.
Across
9 State welcome hosted by Oscars (4)
11 Stanza in excessive, unending Ave Maria delaying mass (6,4)
12 Bash old boy, a grass (4)
18 Pulling evenly, stripped part of a bone (5)
20 Chap trouble is concerning trousers (7)
21 Goddess harbouring worry about mistress (7)
24 Hint of allspice lacking in sausage ragout (5)
25 Reluctant Liberal associated with profanity (5)
30 Grave talk about a collector of filth? (4,3)
32 One avoiding bulk of Mauritian wild buffalo (7)
36 Acceptable English recipient (5)
39 Youth boxing eastern chief (4)
40 Fetters criminal men with armlets (10)
41 Equipment beginning to arrive in port (4)
42 Bar institute for not starting new assignments to different artists? (14)
Down
1 Joint found in house that’s disgusting (5)
3 Head north with bags clipped (6)
2 Did he enjoy touching-and-enriching experiences? (5)
4 Wherein some early Latin turns up? (5)
6 Cheers jokes about reputation initially in tatters (7)
7 Lines in US face self-inflicted damage (6)
8 Dodgy in-tray – get gossiping (9)
10 Section of Balkans archive having gone astray (11)
13 Mudlark regularly found in wild marsh plant (7)
16 Squeal about felon and wise guys almost entering mêlée (11)
21 Temporary worker needs uplifting refrain after a drink (4-5)
22 Crust of suet on robust, large pastry (7)
26 Reactionary badly affected when India turns to America (4,3)
29 Not having succeeded, maestro encrypted code (6)
31 Assent blessed all there, as much as possible (6)
33 Name heartless little bishop for undermining church (5)
34 See you in a couple of days, Joy (5)
35 Hanging up in disarray (5)
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 9 January. 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 2585, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery. The dictionary prize is not available at present.
Download a printable version here.
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