THE PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN €2,000

There’s an amazing €2,000 prize for the first correct solution drawn at random in our general knowledge Prize Crossword. Entries must arrive by Friday, March 26 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, April 11. You must complete the iSpy box to enter. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter – and good luck!

Across

11 A pale violet, pink or red variety of garnet, used as a gemstone (9)

12 The state or quality of agreement, a consensus or undivided opinion (9) 13 H.E. –––, 20th Century English author whose best-known works include The Darling Buds Of May (5)

14 Members of the Religious Society of Friends (7) 15 In Judaism, a ceremonial meal observed on the first night of Passover (5) 16 Creeping plant grown for its edible, cylindrical fruits (8)

18 ––– B. Hayes,

19th president of the United States (10) 22 A wine steward in a restaurant or hotel (9)

24 (Of wine, especially champagne) mediumsweet (4-3)

27 The art or process, originally Japanese, of paper folding (7) 28 A parallelogram with four right angles (9)

30 A large choice cut from the sirloin of beef (1-4,5) 32 Basic tactical and administrative air force unit comprising two or more flights (8)

35 Professional rugby union team in Coventry,

England, founded in 1867 (5)

37 1897 horror novel by Bram Stoker (7) 38 A flavouring made from coffee and chocolate (5) 39 Prolific English author known for a series of novels featuring the master criminal

Dr Fu Manchu (3,6)

40 The sand and stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete (9)

Down

1 A type of high-quality coffee bean (7)

2 Hill above a town in Central Italy, site of intense battle during the Second World War (5,7) 3 An ornamental circular stud on a vault, ceiling or shield (4)

5 Small pieces of meat and vegetables threaded onto skewers and grilled (5) 6 Government or other officials collectively (11) 7 David ––– , former British Liberal Democrat MP who was chief secretary to the

Treasury for 17 days in 2010 (4)

8 Rugged, mountainous section of the Central Coast of California (3,3) 9 A female deer, especially the red deer when aged three years or more (4)

10 A secondary or incidental result of a manufacturing process (2-7) 17 An aggressive, partly arboreal, tropical African venomous snake (5) 19 In Greek myths, a monster with nine heads (5) 20 A physician specialising in the treatment of women before, during and after childbirth (12) 21 The main mountain system of Mexico (6,5)

23 A decree, order or ordinance issued by a sovereign or state (5) 25 Hot, molten rock, usually formed in the earth’s upper mantle (5)

26 North By –––, 1959

Alfred Hitchcock film starring Cary Grant and James Mason (9)

29 A red supergiant star in the Scorpius constellation (7) 31 Central London railway terminus (6)

33 A semi-public governmentfinanced administrative body whose members are appointed by the government (6)

34 Paul –––, French composer whose bestknown work was The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (5) 36 – – – Coburg-Gotha, the name of the British royal family (1901-17) through Prince Albert (4) 37 Stig Of The –––,

1963 children’s novel by Clive King (4)

38 A person’s manner, bearing or mood (4)