THE PRIZE CROSSWORD
There’s an amazing €2,000 prize for the first correct solution drawn at random in our general knowledge Prize Crossword. Entries must arrive by Friday, October 12 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, October 28. You must complete the iSpy box to enter. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter – and good luck!
Across
11 Jardin des –––, public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in Paris (9) 12 A breed of horse with a spotted coat, originally from America (9) 13 To be superior to, surpass (5) 14 Hard, yellow, pear-shaped fruits used for making jelly or jam (7) 15 Samuel –––, American inventor of an electric telegraph code (5) 16 Joseph –––, US newspaper publisher known for a group of prizes awarded yearly since 1917 in his name (8) 18 Late Northern Ireland politician and Presbyterian minister, First Minister of Northern Ireland 2007-2008 (3,7) 22 The main annual championship game in American football (5,4) 24 Denies any connection with, refuses to acknowledge (7) 27 The 15th letter of the Greek alphabet (7) 28 Small balls of dough cooked and served with stew (9) 30 Magical words used by Ali Baba in The Arabian Nights to open the door of the thieves’ den (4,6) 32 Market town in Southeast Staffordshire, capital of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia (8) 35 An oval portrait on a brooch or ring carved in relief (5) 37 Lester –––, English flat-race jockey who achieved nine Epsom Derby wins (7) 38 The male singing voice between alto and baritone (5) 39 Asiatic tree, the leaves of which yield a heavy, fragrant oil (9) 40 American swimmer who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics (4,5)
Down
1 To make an effort to achieve or complete something difficult (7) 2 County of East England, on the North Sea and the Wash (12) 3 The lengthwise timber or steel structure along the base of a ship (4) 4 A thick, rich soup made from shellfish (6) 5 An ancient town in West Central Italy, which served as the port of ancient Rome (5) 6 In the Old Testament, the young sheep killed and eaten on the first day of the Passover (7,4) 7 Primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas (4) 8 Graduates of a school, college or university (6) 9 In the military, a period of service, especially in one place of duty (4) 10 Body of water in Central Africa at the southern end of the Great Rift Valley, also called Lake Malawi (4,5) 17 A thin candle (5) 19 A foot-operated lever or device (5) 20 Mark – – – – – –, British sprinter who was a member of the gold medal-winning British 4x100m relay team at the 2004 Olympics (5-7) 21 New York Yankees baseball player who married Marilyn Monroe in 1954 (3,8) 23 The characters of an ancient Germanic alphabet, in use, especially in Scandinavia, from the 3rd Century to the Middle Ages (5) 25 Another name for a tendon (5) 26 The prediction of a person’s future based on the zodiacal data for their time of birth (9) 29 A spiced pork sausage used in Spanish and Mexican cooking (7) 31 Shaggy-coated arboreal mammals of Central and South America (6) 33 Clothes, especially formal ones (6) 34 Indian dish consisting of meat or vegetables braised with water, stock, yogurt or cream (5) 36 In baseball, a large, round, thickly-padded glove worn by the catcher (4) 37 To thrust out the lips in a sullen expression (4) 38 A specific piece of work, duty or chore (4)