The unclued entries (two of one word, two of two words, two of three words) combine to form a quotation. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.

        Across

   1    Promotions to fix in commercial vehicles (12)

10    Eager pupil’s plea for online phenomenon (4)

12    Cockney dish rose, having turned end (3,1,4,2)

14    Remark further problem with concentration (3)

15    Angler uses this weight in river, they say (8)

17    Gold cloth piece is not silver – this might be either (5)

18    Win back billion, not having a scale again (7)

19    Understanding one? (6)

22    Analog ____ could be ‘slo-mo’, managed badly? (6)

24    A state surrounded by empty sea (5)

26    Urban guile represented by India in this place? (9)

27    Trapped in Guyana, now I restore filaments (9)

29    Poet’s transported working party (5)

31    Court I use to ruin that one legally (6)

34    Almost breaking out of an opening (6)

36    Making everything different, if income falling short (7)

38    It’s colourful for Polynesians have the lead, cycling (5)

39    Dismissal from office visit, gun being shot around (8)

41    Group that’s adapted piece played in Scotland for Bizet cut short (10)

42    Gripping part of car: sound of exhaust? (4)

43    I hear of dolts reclassified thus? (12)

        Down

   3    Plan backed by the French magistrates (7)

   4    Slice of meat that is a dish (5)

   5    Parkie in season where this foreigner’s from (9)

   6    Rate Spain’s footballers, say? (6)

   7    Material poet’s rejected (5)

   8    Staunch supporter of Proteas? (4)

11    Artist stops another giving away name for footballer (8)

16    Banker dumps Egypt’s capital for minimal value (3)

19    Rejected text entertaining two kids (6)

20    Girl is first son’s sibling (6)

23    1,500 with this complaint could potentially be pandemonium (9)

25    Pungent problem raised behind time (8)

28    Ghanaian announced a sailor’s number (7)

30    Petal is somehow not a part of plant (6)

32    Judge this bar’s class of spirits (3)

33    Alcoholic sinks round (5)

35    Paddy in 5 (5)

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 December. 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 2633, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.

Get 10 issues for just $10

Subscribe to The Spectator Australia today for the next 10 magazine issues, plus full online access, for just $10.

SUBSCRIBE 10 issues for $10 REGISTER 3 articles a month

Already a subscriber? Log in