THE PRIZE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

11 20th Century American actor who won an Oscar for his dual roles in the 1965 film Cat Ballou (3,6) 12 – – – ridgeback, a large, short-haired dog, originally bred for hunting in southern Africa (9) 13 A device for slowing or stopping a vehicle (5) 14 Insects which travel in a vast swarm, stripping large areas of vegetation (7) 15 Anything valuable or useful (5) 16 Diego – – –, Argentinian former footballer who famously scored a ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in 1986 (8) 18 A breed of domesticated feline with a satin-like coat and green or gold eyes (7,3) 22 British rock band whose albums include The Dark Side Of The Moon (4,5) 24 The compartment in a small aircraft in which the pilot and crew sit (7) 27 Eugène – – –, Romanianborn 20th Century dramatist, associated with the Theatre of the Absurd (7) 28 To activate a motorcycle engine by means of a pedal (4-5) 30 Kitchen utensil with a serrated blade, used for cutting slices from a loaf (10) 32 Large airship used in the FirstWorld War (8) 35 Region of West Central Italy of which Rome is the capital (5) 37 Kingdom in North West Europe on the North Sea (7) 38 Large, long-legged, longnecked wading bird (5) 39 An optical instrument for making distant objects appear larger and brighter (9) 40 – – – – – – man, an early modern human, who lived in Europe during late Palaeolithic times (3-6)

DOWN

1 Southern state on the Gulf of Mexico, nicknamed the Yellowhammer State (7) 2 US team co-captain who won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup (5,7) 3 The central space in a church (4) 4 – – – Waugh, English novelist whose works include Brideshead Revisited (6) 5 A light, quick meal (5) 6 Author and philosopher who wrote the Booker Prizewinning novel The Sea, The Sea (4,7) 7 Solemn, binding pledges or promises (4) 8 Hickory trees of the Southern US, having deeply furrowed bark and edible nuts (6) 9 Working areas at the side of a motor-racing track for servicing or refuelling vehicles (4) 10 An organisation founded for particular work, especially research or education (9) 17 Mounds or ridges of drifted sand (5) 19 Practice exams taken in preparation for real ones (5) 20 Profits from the sale of property or an investment (7,5) 21 John D. – – –, American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 (11) 23 Facial expression of worry or anger (5) 25 A device that holds two things firmly together (5) 26 A financial obligation (9) 29 A device to send or receive TV or radio signals (7) 31 Condition characterised by an accumulation of watery fluid (6) 33 Area of high, open land in West Somerset and North Devon (6) 34 A betulaceous tree or shrub with thin, peeling bark (5) 36 Émile – – –, French writer whose novels include Nana and Germinal (4) 37 A period of high economic growth (4) 38 Material used in the manufacture of bricks and ceramics (4)