Unclued lights (including one pair giving a name, and one of three words from a quotation) form three groups; the word that links them all must be highlighted in the grid.

        Across

   1    Make bourgeois rogue grin, yet to embrace female (8)

   8    Small cover for head or neck (4)

11    A sailor pockets peso with original value (2,3)

14    Old Yemeni’s brief month in Israel (5)

15    Some poetry’s mood extremely humane (7)

17    Expert delaying old emperor (4)

18    Politician blocks great excuse (5)

19    A relative pens book having no life (7)

23    Fish in benign border of greenery (4,4)

24    Shearwater bird eats silver penny (6)

25    Arbiters’ dispute with soldiers (7)

27    Film writer welcomes current work (6)

29    Ma working with needle American decorated (8)

34    Speaking about pounds, making killing (7)

35    Edna, untroubled, hosts relative (5)

36    Thus touring occasionally posh bit of London (4)

38    Record almost everything concerning innards (7)

39    Benefit, isolating small particle (5)

41    Time in new home for Aussie addict (5)

42    Endlessly long period (4)

43    Huge ruler put on weight, mostly (8)

         Down

   1    Chatterbox like bishop cracking joke (6)

   2    Poet’s easily cut old number (4)

   4    Admired Conservative plugs kind of bonding (6)

   5    Bed rest for invalid from wood (6-4)

   6    Fitting clothing for earl – it can’t be declined (6)

   7    Soldier claimed drunk’s helping doctors (11)

   8    Critic’s special complaint (5)

10    One’s splitting common rock (7)

12    Boats from Riga with sea up high (9)

16    Poor sides in ideal soccer tie with equal potential (11)

21    Most spotted means to stop heartless poet (9)

22    Party can be darn merry (4,5)

30    French article by wise French writer (6)

31    Smashed British house (6)

32    Drink for one award that’s lifted (6)

33    Prophet adopts new taunt (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 12 February. 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 2638, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.

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