Spectator 2628

[johnpiper]

Only a few clued lights left

6d variety of ivy from another state with aname cut short (6) AR????

4d involved oneself endlessly in German trade fair (5) ME???

33d old motto-english or not (5) ??es?

 

completely flummoxed on unclued

is 3down the hyphenated plural?

 

[Neveracrossword]

4 Messe(d)

3 D. No

33 Poesy

6  Ar alia(s)

[JJ109]

6d Aralia

4d messe but I can't parse

33d Poesy

[johnpiper]

Thanks.

i dont have my chambers with me which makes matters tricky!!

[JJ109]

I have completely given up on the unclued. I have some of them as they are the only words to fit the crossers. Apart from being Scottish, I do not see a connection and most are not in my dictionary anyway!

Where oneunclued crosses another it is imossible - I feel like just inventing words to fit! Very poorly constructed by Doc unless you are Scottish!

[Neveracrossword]

JJ109, I think Doc has assumed that most solvers will have Chambers. All the words are in there - and pretty easily found, the preamble is helpful.

[johnpiper]

So does 13d start with c fourth letter m and finish with e? In which case what has that got to do with customary taxes?

[Neveracrossword]

Johnpiper, yes to your letters for 13 D. The synonym for 'taxes' is defined as 'a payment, especially a customary tax' - it'e been used before in crosswords.

[johnpiper]

Thank you

[hankir]

13d that I come up with means rubbish.

15a and 18a words also have nothing to do with taxes.

This is tough without knowing the other language.

[Geoff.T]

A very strange set of entries but how does 39a work?

[johnpiper]

I have found another clued light i missed

19d preparing for plastering on reef in gabon (6)

???ing

[ProfessorMaisie]

Nothing to do with 'taxes' in that sense, hankir - the 5 letter alternative for the language (as it appears in dictionaries) is the same word as 'taxes' (small 's' not capital 'S'). You'll need the page towards the end of Chambers for at least one of the unclueds (they're an obscure bunch).

19a anag 'deal' + 5 letter assistant (it's in Australia).

19d The 3 letter word for 'reef' could unlock a door + IN + G(abon).

[Geoff.T]

My 39a says:

'New Deal' with sadly (5,5)

 

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM.

I cnnot find the specific page in Chambers.

Also at the end of Chambers (11th edition), nothing is connected to this subject.

24a and 21d are not clear.

43a may mean a witch. 

Still mystified about how they are all connected.

[Geoff.T]

I think there are two crosswords circulating. Mine was downloaded this morning and has 13 unclued lights, including 24a, 40a and 41a. Also, 20d, 23d and 25d. Can anyone please confirm my suspicions.

Many thanks

 

[FleshpotsOfDevon]

I got so peely-wally with this week's Speccy that I had to pop out to Waterstones to buy a Chambers. (I suppose I needed a copy anyway) True enough the page is there and so are most of the words. 

[johnpiper]

Well struggling on

is the hyphenated plural unclued light 43a?

and where does the hyphen come?

and is 22a the past tense one?

[ProfessorMaisie]

Geoff.T This is what you're missing -

39 New deal with parliamentary assistant in city (8)

40 Aussies regularly take drugs (3)

41 Material dries white sadly (5,5).

 

[FleshpotsOfDevon]

It's the most recent edition, and I agree it's a bit cheeky of the good Doctor to create a set of words whose only connection is their appearance in a dictionary. 

[ProfessorMaisie]

43, yes - hyphen after 4th letter.

Yes, 22a is past tense.