The 37 and 38 evoke 16D 22A/26, once 19 26, the 19 being 6 at the 41 5, 41 26 and 41 13.
Across
1 Language school opened by Republican state (8)
11 Repeatedly check bones in historical operation (10)
14 Sweet red Dutch headwear (8)
16 US city king boxes to unwind (5)
17 Blotto man does spirits (7)
18 Animal in vehicle, one about to get skinned (7)
23 Hangs from small steep rocks (6)
24 American English crudely translated☺? (6)
31 Linked quartet of women in Italy chasing opera conductor (9)
33 Portent consuming regularly at-risk crew (7)
34 Bug base following plot (7)
36 Maxim gun discharged over Middle East (5)
39 Back into car crash – end of insurance schedule? (10)
40 Cheers a couple of extras (3-3)
Down
1 Fast beat nothing held up (7)
2 Lamb’s poor – rat taken from laboratory before cooking (7)
3 In Greece, Diana satisfied about dividing out-of-bounds church community (7)
4 Scholar in front having cracked simple exam (6)
7 Corsica developed variable egalitarian system (8)
8 Smooth, affected, naïve barons (3-8)
9 Soon Musk perhaps interrupts some work (7)
10 Route changes between ends of destinations (7)
12 Dash of violet in indigo block (5)
15 Bank of Scotland runsinto former UK defence contractor (4)
20 Grass, half of which is dope (4)
21 Conservative plugs swine (4)
22 Mystery resolved about mass balance (8)
24 Small element of pride? (4,3)
25 Setter’s lines containing mature figures of speech (7)
27 Plant employees northbound, entering expanded major road? (7)
28 Nails up favourite scrap of news (7)
29 Goat on heat, initially with vigour (5-2)
30 Camera setting shows stone clasped by peacock (1-4)
31 Web covered by statute law (4)
32 Adjust recent focus (6)
35 Divine Caledonian spring close to Skye (4)
Download a printable version here.
A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on 27 November 2023. 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 2630, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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