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 strawberry coloured 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)