Spectator 1852

[Lezapping]

Intriguing "Tablemates"...just need to find one! Some help with the following, please!

ACROSS: 33.Runs in Italy amid winds(7) ??R???S
38 House comic( 5): ??A?O
39. 35 40 gal with caution (6): ?AB???
42. Dwell with old woman during festival ( 6 )
?EY???
43.?????E?N

DOWN: 1. How a linesman...( 13, to words):
P??????A?????
27. E????I?
23. ??AR???
32.Doesn't credit society girls with innate appeal(6):
O??IT?
11 Artless Scandinavian girl, with talent, going round the bend(9):???A??OS?
21. Flying start for gladiator with a way to preserve taking the lead(8):A???E???

[hammersgirl]

32 debits - debs with it(appeal)

[hammersgirl]

38 Beano - another name for bingo = house

[cruciverbali]

Winds = Trades

There is no A in 1 Down nor in 11 Down

There's no E in 21 Down

Festival = Tet (no Y in 42a)

There's no B in 39a

[kayakamina]

27d Doesn't start with E

[BigMac]

39a.

The answer to 35d is an anagram indicator. 40a plus sometthing in the clue for 39a will give you the letters of the anagram that answers39a.

[BigMac]

You need to check 30d - there is no 'B' in 39a and there is no 'Y' in 42 a.

You letters for 43a are correct.

There is an 'R' in 23d... but not where you show it.

The 'S' in 11d is not where you show it.

[bathtub]

I can't add anything to the above. I suggest you read the Wikipedia article on cryptic crosswords (don't have the link to hand, Google 'cryptic crossword wiki' and it should come up). It explains the types of clue you're likely to meet and how they work, and suggests further reading.

I'm sure you're giving this your best shot, but the number of checked letters you have wrong before asking for help suggests you haven't got the basics in place despite a lot of us providing you with answers over the last few weeks.

The Spectator is a very ambitious place to be when you're starting out on cryptic puzzles. If I were you, I'd buy a book - Daily Telegraph crosswords, something like that - and work your way through it, consulting the answers at the back if you need to and trying to understand where you've gone wrong (or right) and how the clues and answers relate to one another.

Try some non-competition puzzles as you go along, without any pressure to solve them apart from your own satisfaction. Doesn't really matter where they're from - I think you have to be comfortable with cryptics in the likes of the Sun, the Daily Express, local newspapers etc well before you can take on more advanced challenges.

I'm trying, gently and politely I hope, to say that whilst we're happy to help, we can't solve puzzles for you. And I can't see where the fun is for you if we keep on doing so.

[Lezapping]

Many thanks to Hammersgirl, Cruciverbali, Kayakamina and BigMac for the hints, clues and encouragement. I appreciate your humility and your knowledge that you are so eager to impart...