| Clues across |
| 1 | Country almost in charge of this script (6) |
| 5 | Tuneful old mice run around (7) |
| 9 | Anaesthetic for count (6) |
| 12 | Free from prejudice, having brain surgery? (4-6) |
| 13 | Crane and truck in collision – sweet, we hear! (10) |
| 14 | Financial statements are just stories! (8) |
| 15 | PUNISHMENT (5,7) |
| 16 | Holy hippos go off in pursuit of wisdom (10) |
| 18 | Crumpled gory shirts? Not something pleasant to look at! (5,5) |
| 20 | Assailant causes ragged tear, holding small nail (8) |
| 22 | Swap components – one way to get a different car (4,8) |
| 24 | Put water on weights, we’re told – they’ll keep things sharp (10) |
| 25 | Forces flee in disarray and break out in powdery rash (10) |
| 26 | Is he in charge of 27's activities? Or a deputy for the head of a committee? (4-8) |
| 27 | Her 4 make appointments by phone in state with broken grill (4-4) |
| 28 | When upset, dandies get named (10) |
| 30 | Originality of peacekeepers with one ship holding distraught queen (10) |
| 32 | Pale naval chief seen flapping about in woodland (5,7) |
| 34 | Daisy, in cathedral city, heads in this direction (8) |
| 36 | Fruit’s bad in Spanish city (10) |
| 37 | Choices about period of time for military tasks (10) |
| 38 | Wild rave held in outskirts of town – in this establishment? (6) |
| 39 | Cads cut tops off pigs’ feet (7) |
| 40 | Young bird is agile, losing heart when caught by alien (6) |
|
| Clues down |
| 2 | Subject for discussion taken from introduction to picture (5) |
| 3 | Easiest course of action presented by troops in weak battle formation (4,2,5,10) |
| 4 | Eastwood’s going round east to get customers (7) |
| 5 | Unusually, I dampen odours with this way of working (5,8) |
| 6 | Boy has unknown period of time on 25 March (4,3) |
| 7 | He looks down in the mouth, converting enlarged snout (6,7) |
| 8 | He may deal with rats and trap queen (7) |
| 9 | Young children are taught here to take care of line over shoal of fish (7,6) |
| 10 | Profession of those designing gear-boxes, say, or managing licence in here, perhaps (10,11) |
| 11 | First lady sits on National Trust to organise this, maybe (5) |
| 17 | Strike at church, then go for a tramp – relying on rule of thumb? (5-4) |
| 19 | Aces, kings or jokers taking drugs (4,5) |
| 21 | Indoor and outdoor domestic locations where herbs are found (7-6) |
| 22 | This style of painting torments Prado, unfortunately (10,3) |
| 23 | Fees? Five cents could achieve success in producing a result! (13) |
| 29 | Acrobat often full of drink (7) |
| 30 | Release Leo on us (7) |
| 31 | Treat in a supercilious manner when pugs eat sloppily (7) |
| 33 | Anglo-Saxon invader was almost ashore, but got confused (5) |
| 35 | End breaks off surgeon’s instrument – but one could still stab with it! (5) |
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