I will confess to slightly changing one clue in bringing this to the site – I’m rather surprised James Leonard let it through. Indeed, there are a couple of items still remaining that the James of later years would have pounced on. I did choose this puzzle because it was smaller than most – except that it deviously packs some longer words into its small size, and actually has more clues than average. Anyway, here goes, and thanks to Chris Lancaster for permission to reprint some old EV puzzles.
A specific number of clue answers are consistently modified to form the associated entries (which are also words, one a proper noun). Numbers in brackets give grid lengths. Solvers should get (and highlight) their FULL MARKS through completing the central square.
ACROSS
1 When it’s warmer, question swapping ends (4)
4 Fried dish now reduced – 60% of staff to tuck in (7)
10 Lecturer runs into individual returning to join course (5)
11 Key indicated in Verdi’s letter (4)
12 We – that is, a boy and a girl (5)
13 Delay in friend’s describing modal effects (6)
15 Excellent backing group in Manchester area (4)
17 Give responsibility to hospital department before evidence of idleness (7)
21 Father’s avoided securing rights to canvas? (4)
22 Sign of victory: recalled positions, disregarding end of race (5)
23 Miser’s bases in America (5)
25 Undeveloped state shown by former college in US city (4)
27 Having no children, and nothing to control source of reproduction (7)
29 Hold out rubbish in Edinburgh passageway (4)
35 Gold transaction can be a difficult experience (6)
36 Island rulers desert America (5)
37 Sources of tubers, circular shape, almost rejected (4)
38 Position that’s adopted by fencing manoeuvre (5)
39 Matching clothes does best during winter festival (7)
40 Succeeded in interrupting backsliding jack tar? (4)
DOWN
1 Goes to embrace British peoples (6)
2 Encourage woman to go round most of the world (4)
3 Gossip about new consort of King? (4)
4 Net work? (4)
5 East Europeans keeping head down in Greek jugs? (5)
6 Being in hat suitable for stretching (4)
7 Limit’s to this author’s authority (4)
8 Churchman concealing Rector’s secret no longer (5)
9 Space in collection of data capable of being defended (4)
14 Attendant abandoning the German airport (4)
16 Japanese people are occupying University (4)
18 Pancake’s nothing, seen next to endless food (4)
19 Trophies capped successful periods… (3)
20 …albeit leader of team getting derisive comment (3)
21 Heads for the usual racing fraternity here? (4)
24 Is one investing in Japanese currency providing a measure of possession? (6)
26 Missile to cause discomfort in some areas of London? (5)
28 Measure of excitement and power shown by University (part of London University) (5)
29 Sign expressing influence is about right (4)
30 Senior academic’s article accepted by study? (4)
31 Hurries birds around a second time (4)
32 Architect including it on bottom of blueprint, in text form (4)
33 Excessive source of oil (rose-oil) (4)
34 No longer used to board tug seen at sea (4)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
