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, April 5 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, April 21. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.
ACROSS
1 An infectious disease characterised by a high temperature, a strawberrycoloured tongue and a rash (7,5) 8 George – – –, comedian who starred in musical films of the 1930s, famous for playing the ukulele (6) 11 A formal work on a subject (8) 12 Aromatic spice, especially ground and used in curry powder (5) 13 Nat King – – –, 20th Century American singer-songwriter and jazz musician whose signature tune was Unforgettable (4) 14 City in West Yorkshire on the River Aire (5) 15 The – – – – – –, 1850 historical novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (7,6) 17 A shield that covers a light bulb (9) 19 See 2 Down 23 A bucket, especially one made of wood or metal (4) 24 The Anglo-Saxon – – –, manuscript created during the reign of Alfred the Great (9) 25 A thick, brown, salty paste made from soya beans, used to flavour savoury dishes in Japanese cookery (4) 26 Bertie – – –, character in the Jeeves stories by P. G. Wodehouse (7) 28 The state of being well known for some bad or unfavourable quality or deed, infamy (9) 31 A prank or trick usually intended to make the victim appear foolish (9,4) 34 L. S. – – –, English painter noted for his bleak industrial landscapes (5) 36 Safety device in an electric plug or circuit (4) 37 Relating to a city or town (5) 38 Judgments or beliefs not founded on certainty or proof (8) 39 To go back on a promise (6) 40 Triple Oscar-winning 2018 superhero film starring Chadwick Boseman (5,7)
DOWN
2 and 19 Across Samba singer, dancer and actress noted for her signature fruit hat (6,7) 3 British writer whose works included the children’s classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (5,4) 4 – – – Through The Gift Shop, 2010 documentary film directed by Banksy (4) 5 A circular valved brass instrument (6,4) 6 In the Church of England, a clergyman appointed to act as priest of a parish (5) 7 Erwin – – –, German Field Marshal of the Second World War known as the Desert Fox (6) 8 A deciding contest between the winners of previous rounds in a competition (5) 9 An Italian cheese made from whey (7) 10 Stupid or illogical talk, senseless rubbish (10) 16 Army attack helicopter designed to hunt and destroy tanks (6) 18 Australian wild dog, resembling a wolf (5) 20 A peninsula of South West Europe, occupied by Spain and Portugal (6) 21 The capital of the US state of Louisiana (5,5) 22 and 30 Novel by Anthony Burgess, adapted for a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick (1,9,6) 25 A member of a Protestant Christian denomination that derives from John Wesley’s system of faith and practice (9) 27 A Pacific salmon having red flesh and valued as a food fish (7) 29 Tree native to Africa, with a very thick trunk and gourd-like fruit called monkey bread (6) 30 See 22 32 Become accustomed to something unpleasant (5) 33 A military group that rules a country after taking power by force (5) 35 The capital of Latvia, on the Baltic Sea (4)