THE PRIZE CROSSWORD
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, March 5 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, March 21. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.
Across
1 A device in a vehicle which turns off the full beam of a headlamp and turns on the low beam (6,6) 8 A public show of respect or honour towards someone or something (6) 11 A pair of spectacles with lenses made in two halves, the top part for distance viewing and the bottom part for reading (8) 12 See 35 Down 13 Something false, fake or fictitious that purports to be genuine (4) 14 A Hawaiian word for ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ (5) 15 An annual period at the end of which a firm’s accounts are made up (9,4) 17 A guardian or keeper of an art collection (9) 19 Port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America (2,5) 23 – – – Alli, England footballer who joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 (4) 24 and 10 Down Scottishborn scientist credited with inventing the telephone (9,6,4) 25 A sudden jar or blow (4) 26 A boat or ship driven by the hot vapour produced by boiling water (7) 28 A young woman of upperclass background who is presented to society, usually at a formal ball (9) 31 English novelist and essayist whose works include To The Lighthouse (8,5) 34 A strong porter ale, highly flavoured with malt (5) 36 A colour varying from deep red to dark, purplish-brown (4) 37 A storehouse or warehouse (5) 38 Latin phrase meaning a compromise between two extremes, middle course (3,5) 39 Person who examines publications, films and letters in order to suppress obscene or unacceptable content (6) 40 A complicated or difficult relationship or situation (12)
Down
2 A hanging spike formed by the freezing of dripping water (6) 3 See 20 4 A horse with a bay, chestnut or black coat sprinkled with white hairs (4) 5 Cricket team representing a number of mainly English-speaking Caribbean territories (4,6) 6 A city in North East Oklahoma, on the Arkansas River (5) 7 Town in the South Central Scottish Borders on the River Teviot (6) 8 Lily-like plant, cultivated for its ornamental foliage (5) 9 To use the wrong keys on a keyboard (7) 10 See 24 Across 16 A colourless, odourless gas obtained from natural gas and petroleum (6) 18 Tropical plant with tall flower stalks rising from thick, fleshy leaves (5) 20 and 3 British swimmer who won a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke event at the 1988 Olympics (6,9) 21 A rotating machine that separates liquids from solids by the action of a type of force (10) 22 American TV personality who hosted a variety show on CBS from 1948 to 1971 (2,8) 25 In meteorology, a narrow belt of highaltitude winds moving east at high speeds (3,6) 27 An ancient North African port on the Mediterranean (7) 29 Bird with a black-and-white plumage, long tail and a chattering call (6) 30 A swelling of the first joint of the big toe, which is displaced to one side (6) 32 The point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer, diametrically opposite the zenith (5) 33 A group of eight singers or musicians (5) 35 and 12 Across American athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals in sprint events and the long jump (4,5)