Good Crossword by Loda! Ten countries with new names had to be written as their old names in the grid, and ten old names had to be substituted for their new names before the clues could be solved, which explains the title.
Unusually, I spotted the theme after solving only two clues. A record for me! I confess to Googling for old/new pairs as Geography was never my strong suit. I used http://www.winentrance.com/channame.asp, which led to a problem understanding the clue for Myanmar, as they have mis-spelled it Mayanmar. I should have been wary as they also have countries called Hollad and Sam!!
Solving time :About 1 hour for the bulk, then another hour or more to sort out the final details for this blog!
| The list of substitutions for the clues was: |
| Across |
| 9 |
New Hebrides – Vanatu (not sure where the superfluous apostrophe came from!) |
| 18 |
British Honduras – Belize |
| 23 |
Afars and Issas – Djibouti |
| 25 |
Basutoland – Lesotho |
| 33 |
United Arab Republic – Egypt |
| 36 |
Persia – Iran (didn’t have to look that one up!) |
| Down |
| 3 |
Pleasant Island – Nauru |
| 5 |
South West Africa – Namibia |
| 7 |
Rhodesia – Zimbabwe (didn’t have to look that one up either.) |
| 29 |
Dutch East Indies – Indonesia |
|
| The ten answers substituted were: |
| Across |
| 1 |
B(lack)OT(books)SWAN(pen)A(ccepted) – BECHUANALAND |
| 15 |
Z(izzard)+AIR(broadcast)+(jok)E – CONGO |
| 16 |
ETH(the slipshod)+I(one)+OP(work dogs=follows)+I(n)+A(merica) – ABYSSINIA |
| 28 |
MA(mother)+LAW(rule)+I(one) – NYASALAND |
| 37 |
THAILAND (tail hand)* – SIAM |
| Down |
| 1 |
MY(well, as in my oh my!)+ANMA(one man’s broken)+R(ule) – BURMA |
| 8 |
B+ENIN (nine reversed) – DAHOMEY |
| 18 |
TAIWAN – want* containing ai (sloth) – FORMOSA |
| 19 |
SRI LANKA (alas ink+r)* – CEYLON |
| 21 |
GREE (dialect victory)+C(ouncil of)E(urope) – HELLAS |
|
| The remaining clues were normal. Explanations assume the substitutions above. |
| Across |
| 9 |
(Vanat)U+NIT |
| 11 |
REG+MA – “a fruit that splits into dehiscent parts” – so there! |
| 13 |
DAMAGES = compo(compensation!) – made* containing a g(rand) + s(pecial) |
| 14 |
MA+SCOTS |
| 18 |
F(oreign)O(ffice)+(Be)LI(se)+C(ultivate) – Folic acid is Vitamin B9 |
| 20 |
SHA(has*)+H(otel) |
| 22 |
My first clue solved. ARE (as in hectare) – era reversed |
| 23 |
OBI – a charm, hidden backwards in Djibouti |
| 25 |
NERO (actually he played the lyre!) = N(YO)+ER+(Lesoth)O |
| 27 |
LEROY – name derived from Le Roi, but I have no explanation for the “servant of” |
| 31 |
MESA(seam*)+L(ength) – “in or towards the medial plane or line” |
| 33 |
Geoff Capes – ATHLETE = (al the)* containing ET for Egypt |
| 35 |
BEG(pray)+ORRA(Scots worthless) – oh God! |
| 36 |
SEN (money) round IR(an) |
| 38 |
ANTE( sounds like anti)+CH(estnut)+AMBERS |
|
|
| Down |
| 2 |
CIS (sic reversed)+(i)S+(da)Y |
| 3 |
(Naur)U+NDO (Don*) |
| 4 |
A(ustralian)+BAT(mammal)+IS(lives) – a tree-felled fortification |
| 5 |
NAM(ibia)+(abandon)S – nams, or naams are obsolete legalese distraints |
| 6 |
LEGO is Jerry-built, LEG is on (cricket). I’m not keen on O being (b)O(g) essentially! |
| 7 |
Fifth of Zimbabwe is A+GENDA (e.g. and)* |
| 10 |
T(rain)O(perating)C(ompany)’S+IN(enclose) |
| 11 |
R(un) + ACIAL – first letters of all . . learning |
| 12 |
NA(Scots for no)+BOBS (Dylan and Geldof) |
| 17 |
F(RON)T+S(un) – meaning the “side open to view” |
| 24 |
INSERT – N(orthern) S(ociety) in rite* |
| 26 |
OSTREA – the oyster genus. (Ro(b) eats)* |
| 29 |
AERIE – High House, AE – Scots same, RI is the Vehicle code for Indonesia. I was hung up on the fact the the ISO abbreviation is ID or IDN! |
| 30 |
D(ead)+EEMS (smee reversed) |
| 32 |
AGEE is DRAGEE (sweet enclosing a drug – no-one ever offers me any!) with Dr. removed. |
| 33 |
ARCH – double meaning |
| 34 |
HA(ve)+RM (jolly is a Royal Marine) – might be a break of a leg etc. |