THE PRIZE CROSSWORD
WIN £1,500
There’s an amazing £1,500 prize for the first correct solution drawn at random in our general knowledge Prize Crossword. Entries must arrive by Friday, February 19 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, March 7. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.
Across
10 Light, teasing or joking language or repartee (6) 11 A person or thing considered as being limited to only one single talent, capability or quality (3-5,4) 12 Mount – – –, an active volcano in East Sicily (4) 13 The flesh of a deer, used as food (7) 14 – – – Marceau, famous French mime artist (6) 15 To block or stop up, obstruct (7) 16 A person who encourages a crowd to support a sports team by performing organised routines (11) 20 In Scotland and North England, a small stream or brook (4) 21 A person who trespasses in a building, housebreaker (7) 22 British synthpop band fronted by Steve Strange (6) 23 A framework worn by women in the late 19th Century to extend their skirts at the back (6) 25 A curved lens of small focal length that covers an angle of view of almost 180 degrees (7) 27 A republic and the largest island in the Caribbean (4) 28 Of or affecting the gums and other tissues surrounding the teeth (11) 29 Vouchers entitling the holder to a discount off a particular product (7) 32 A building for the lodging of horses or other livestock (6) 35 Wooden or plastic bar-shaped buttons inserted through loops for fastening (7) 36 A medieval Icelandic literary work (4) 37 American writer whose works include the 1961 novel Catch-22 (6,6) 38 To improve in quality, colour or flavour (6)
Down
1 French term for high fashion (5,7) 2 A canton of North East Switzerland, on the Rhine, or its capital (2,6) 3 Rahul – – –, former Indian cricket captain, the fourthhighest run scorer in Test cricket (6) 4 South – – –, a range of low hills extending from East Hampshire to East Sussex, declared a national park in 2009 (5) 5 William – – –, Hanoverianborn British astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus (8) 6 The – – –, Irish rock band whose lead singer was Dolores O’Riordan (11) 7 A layer of impure matter that forms on the surface of a liquid (4) 8 Citizens of an ancient Greek city in the South
Peloponnese, famous for their discipline, military prowess and austere way of life (8) 9 The gaming stake put up before the deal in poker (4) 17 An embankment alongside a river in the US (5) 18 Breakfast dish featuring ham, an English muffin and hollandaise sauce (4,8) 19 Vulgar or irreverent actions or words (11) 21 A mixture or type produced by mingling components together thoroughly (5) 24 Metal, plastic or ceramic caps used to protect the end of the fingers when sewing (8) 26 Arthur – – –, president of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1982 until 2002 (8) 27 A movement discipline combining martial art and dance, originating in Brazil (8) 30 An edible marine mollusc with a rough shell, occurring on the sea bed in coastal waters (6) 31 Exaltation, praise or honour (5) 33 The sound made by a horn or whistle (4) 34 In Greek mythology, a nymph who was spurned by Narcissus and pined away until only her voice remained (4)