Eight unclued lights are of a kind with the 3 of the 30. Elsewhere, ignore two accents.
 

Across

1    Nick is sound (5)
10    Category containing almost pure red rose (rambling) (10)
11    Universal spirit and life-force in Chinese city (6)
14    Lass did it, backed not by Pabulum (5)
15    Bill brightened retired lady (5)
16    Indian mister covering unit in cloth of gold (6)
22    Aquatic type once linked with deep loch (8, two words)
23    Sorry forbears abjuring foxtrot where heretics died (7)
24    Sink holding very little liquid (4)
27    Maybe Falstaff’s not effective (7)
29    Frank cross about unrestricted immigration (8, two words)
32    In central Greece Luke rattled old tin (6)
34    One rating Timon’s cave? (5)
35    The unordained set about rumpy-pumpy (5)
37    Disease sick Mackenzie spares kin (6)
38    Southpaws succeeded in sporting trials close to Olympics (10)
40    Whale snubbed strange fishing-net (5)
 

Down

1    Student’s tool ground log perhaps (10)
2    Some music is pretentious – no energy and ordinary (5)
5    Drop in and hoot ludicrous dinosaur (10)
6    Spider born in a storm (7)
7    Spiritual stronghold (5)
8    Ado with humans fighting fools (9)
9    Raced with athletic prince (4)
13    Popular wartime nurses Edgar attacked (7)
17    Craftsman William follows about and cheers gangster (10)
19    Still like peas in a pod? (10, three words)
20    Germ in cake mater stupidly keeps (9)
21    Fairy mostly hiding in primary school (6)
26    Nasty odalisque lacking quality and veneration (7)
28    Peter nurses Romeo and Mike (born early) (7)
31    First class family set about criminals (5)
33    Fish is an unattractive thing (5)
34    The first man Ms Lovelace married (4)
 
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 17 February. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers dictionary instead of cash — ring the word ‘dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2442, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery./>