Crosswords

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Prize crossword No 26,974

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Special instructions: Each clue leads to two solutions, one or both of which contain a trio (or in two cases a quartet) of successive letters of the alphabet, appearing either forwards or backwards. In one case, these letters involve the beginning and end of the alphabet; in another, the letters to be included are a mix of three successive letters. These groups of three or four letters are to be included in the full version of the solution to be entered in the grid, but are omitted from the wordplay in the clues.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

Across

  1. 10, 12
    Clan's rodent making no noise. God! (9;4)
  2. 12
    See 10
  3. 13, 15
    Orator's reserve during some of croquet game, imprisoned by one Greek king (6;9)
  4. 15
    See 13
  5. 16, 17
    Piano pieces bring endless pain to young girl's condition, say (11;5)
  6. 17
    See 16
  7. 18, 19
    Supplements men on strike backing silver tree fern (6,3;5)
  8. 19
    See 18
  9. 20, 21
    ’70s US comedy show with two French articles about Yale's farm manager (5-2;3,6)
  10. 21
    See 20
  11. 26, 28
    Gangster in America evades the masses and boasts about derring-do, for starters (6;6)
  12. 28
    See 26
  13. 30, 32
    Censures US porters having poison at police station docked (7;7)
  14. 32
    See 30
  15. 34, 36
    Reserve copper in Germany, half-cut, takes lid off cylinders damaging Spenser's coffer (4,2;6)
  16. 36
    See 34
  17. 39, 41
    Tory Lord, wildly errant, having sets of 12 Ford models (9;7)
  18. 41
    See 39
  19. 47, 48
    Foreign pupil's name left off team falling asleep on channel (5;9)
  20. 48
    See 47
  21. 49, 50
    Counterfeit note at college having US summer review of European gallery (5;11)
  22. 50
    See 49
  23. 51, 52
    Out at night, cannot lure out top escapee leaving swindler in gaol (9;6)
  24. 52
    See 51
  25. 53, 54
    End of autumn shock — leaves unfold on 60% of roses, fenced off (4;9)
  26. 54
    See 53

Down

  1. 1, 2
    My admission to being out of date causes stalemate around a neat ancient Iranian city (7;8)
  2. 2
    See 1
  3. 3, 4
    Tops of elms growing in vivid green high Austrian alpine valley dwarfed 10 dead, swaying (10;7)
  4. 4
    See 3
  5. 5, 6
    Poet's lines about being only cut on poor ’40s/’50s movies — could be Rififi and not If … (10;4,4)
  6. 6
    See 5
  7. 7, 8
    Extra drapes ordered across a broad area by truculent single worker (10;7)
  8. 8
    See 7
  9. 9, 11
    Institution with bad smell upset the French doctor and farceur — it's a French retail chain (7;8)
  10. 11
    See 9
  11. 14, 22
    Fashion merchants are those who show promise having sculpted tails (9;5)
  12. 22
    See 14
  13. 23, 24
    Dismal Eisteddfod winner turned up uncertain at end of speech (4;4)
  14. 24
    See 23
  15. 25, 27
    Flower having a virtually unrelenting smell. Good! (5;4)
  16. 27
    See 25
  17. 29, 31
    Black butt extinguishes powdered tobacco like this, note (4;6,3)
  18. 31
    See 29
  19. 33, 35
    Store has in frilly hydrangeas but is unable to arrange 10 in temporary quarters (10;10)
  20. 35
    See 33
  21. 37, 38
    Valerie Le Vaillant has to scold independent union leader, having entered the Co-ops drunk for unwanted effect (5,5;4-4)
  22. 38
    See 37
  23. 40, 42
    Supports male during stoppages with quiet cuddle. That's not right! (8;8)
  24. 42
    See 40
  25. 43, 44
    To remove a priest is an obstacle to one judge living around capital (7;7)
  26. 44
    See 43
  27. 45, 46
    Waved goodbye, having repelled an intruder nourished at spa (4,3;4-3)
  28. 46
    See 45