2323: Alphabetical jigsaw

Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions. The solutions have then to be fitted into the grid, jigsaw-fashion.

A    Striving for scope backing number one (8) A    Tense lover short of money (6) B     Child’s first book and game (10) C     Mark in vehicle beside French joiner (5) C     Made money around outhouse (6) C     Work together and endlessly train before start of tournament (5) C     He always gets the sack (7) C     Long knives trimmed members (7) D    Could be an oxide, almost, or toxic liquid (6) D    Had Cressida in charge mixing sugars (13) D    Medic with work in decline (4) E     Very odd, as always, that is (5) F     Polecat swaps tail for Hepburn’s husband (6) G    Nazi working outside emergency room (7) G    Instruments from half the tour officials and mariners (7) H    The sort that love? (7) I      Intestines from Troy, reportedly (5) I      From list select new maniple (7) I      Reason why I inspect my IOU, maybe! (13) I      Chips in true prints repaired (10) J      One spirit or another, we hear (4) K     Snakes bringing currency to islands (6) L     Lalo and Nin chewed the fat (7) M    I left girl with a Welsh one from Pacific Islands (10) M    Friar’s grain (5) M    Linguistic units change shape and seem different (9) N     No nurse organised cells (7) N     Groups’ fishing difficulties? (6) O    Dispensers’ science (6) P     Pockets a large sum (4) Q    Mechanical fruit (6) R     Further reviews of leases covering Jenny and me (13) R     The sound of the Three Choirs Festival? (6, hyphened) S      Directions to town in France. No — Spain! (7) S      Status of Mick Jagger, say, at Callanish? (13, two words) S      Kept going, but suffered (9) T     Conform beside girl in Spain (10, three words) U    Sub-note about neckwear (5, hyphened) U    Water spirits finally seen in pants? (7) V     Cut up half a dozen civets into pieces (8) W    Lost confidence in security once about one lieutenant (6) X     Turnover in plastic gulls? (4) Y     Complain about month by sea in Calais (6) Z     Unknown in the tattered top (6) A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 4 September. 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 2323, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.