THE PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN £1,500

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, June 2 (photocopies not accepted). Today’s solution will appear next week and the winner’s name on Sunday, June 18. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.

Across

1 Cabbage leaves that are harvested before the plants develop hearts (6,6) 8 A small overnight travelling case (6) 11 Gregarious bird with a blackish plumage and a short tail (8) 12 Planet second nearest to the sun, visible as a bright morning or evening star (5) 13 --- the knuckle, close to the limits of what people find acceptable (4) 14 Mosquito-like insect occurring in dancing swarms, especially near water (5) 15 British-American writer and broadcaster who presented the BBC radio series Letter From America (8,5) 17 Comedy characterised by horseplay and physical action (9) 19 A kitchen appliance used for pureeing vegetables and liquidising (7) 23 The fibre prepared from the husk of the coconut (4) 24 Barbra ---, American performer who won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1969 film Funny Girl (9) 25 The bow of a vessel (4) 26 A violent wind or storm (7) 28 A skewer or small spit (9) 31 English Romantic artist best known for his landscape paintings, including The Hay Wain (4,9) 34 Part of the large intestine (5) 36 --- gun, a light 9mm sub-machine-gun formerly used in the British Army, developed during the Second World War (4) 37 A loud disagreement or fight (5) 38 Anthony ---, 19th-Century English novelist who created the fictional county of Barsetshire (8) 39 A gentle or light wind (6) 40 Buildings or rooms equipped for conducting scientific research (12)

Down

2 Marshal --- was Chief of the French State 1940-44 (6) 3 Lacking uniformity or symmetry (9) 4 Starting ---, in motor racing, a marked section of the track where cars line up according to their times in practice (4) 5 People or organisations appointed by a government to control an area of activity (10) 6 The edge of a roof that projects beyond the wall (5) 7 Fictional sailor; the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin (6) 8 Transparent flap on a helmet to protect the face (5) 9 Capital city of the US state of Nebraska (7) 10 Ernest ---, Anglo-Irish explorer knighted for his achievements in polar exploration (10) 16 Involuntary muscular contractions (6) 18 Formerly, an official who made public announcements (5) 20 The principal book in which the commercial transactions of a company are recorded (6) 21 American composer and songwriter whose works include the musical comedy Anything Goes (4,6) 22 Small, portable electronic device used for performing mathematical operations (10) 25 A novel or play of little merit, produced quickly in order to make money (9) 27 Voluntary self-punishment to atone for a sin or crime (7) 29 To attack violently (6) 30 Colourful bird with a distinctive ‘crown’ of feathers (6) 32 A colour that is graduated in tone (5) 33 To improvise and deliver a speech without preparation (2-3) 35 The space inside a roof (4)