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, February 21 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, March 8. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.

Across

10 Sailor who attacks other ships and steals property from them (6)

11 Waterfall on the border between the United States and Canada (7,5)

12 Ancient Egyptian fertility goddess, wife and sister of Osiris (4)

13 Small, largely nocturnal rodents, noted for their ability to hibernate for long periods (7)

14 A pointed surgical knife with two sharp edges (6) 15 Dame Margot –––,

20th Century English classical ballerina (7)

16 1994 film which won six Oscars, including

Best Actor for its star

Tom Hanks (7,4)

20 Arthur –––, American tennis player who was Wimbledon men’s singles champion 1975 (4)

21 Small wild flowers with yellow centres and white petals (7)

22 Mark –––, American golfer who won the Masters and the British Open in 1998 (6) 23 Consternation or agitation (6)

25 The science concerned with the maintenance of health, cleanliness (7) 27 To make beer or ale by steeping, boiling and fermentation (4)

28 Fungus with an edible, yellow, funnel-shaped cap (11) 29 A commemorative inscription on a tombstone or monument (7)

32 Armed forces, soldiers (6) 35 Hats with ribbons tied under the chin (7)

36 Yarn spun from the coat of sheep (4)

37 Wild feline mammals such as bobcats, lynxes or pumas (8,4)

38 ––– Shackleton, Anglo-Irish explorer who was knighted for his achievements in polar exploration (6)

Down

1 The protagonist of George Orwell’s 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (7,5) 2 A plastic case containing magnetic tape (8)

3 Stephen –––, snooker player who became the youngest-ever World Champion in 1990 (6) 4 To breathe through the mouth and nose while asleep, causing snorting sounds created by vibrations of the soft palate (5) 5 A Japanese dish consisting of small pieces of chicken skewered and grilled (8) 6 Person who goes to a social event without being invited (11)

7 – – – Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish parliament (4)

8 ––– Medal, British literary award named after a Scots-born

American philanthropist (8) 9 Something that helps to solve a puzzle, problem or mystery (4)

17 A light, plain, doughy cake, usually served split and buttered (5)

18 French novelist whose works include the sevenvolume À La Recherche Du Temps Perdu (6,6) 19 English author most famous for creating Paddington Bear (7,4) 21 Roddy –––, Irish writer who won the Booker Prize in 1993 with his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (5) 24 Seasonal winds of South Asia, which bring heavy rains in the summer (8)

26 The pungent, aromatic root of a plant of the ginger family, dried and used as a seasoning and in medicine (8) 27 A republic in southern Africa, much of which is covered by the

Kalahari Desert (8)

30 The 12th sign of the zodiac (6)

31 A line or rope used to walk or control a dog or other animal (5)

33 Joe –––, Yorkshire cricketer and captain of the England Test team (4)

34 A broad, flat, thick piece of wood, stone, or other material (4)