The first few answers I got were an across answer that was normal and 4dn for which I though STOP was a satisfactory answer. So it took a few minutes to work out what was going on. Seeing that KEEMA fitted 35dn and checking ESTOP in Chambers soon confirmed a possible un-preambled method for entering down answers. It was then a matter of solving more across clues to find some misquote emerging. So there was no last second penny-drop but there was an enjoyable well-clued puzzle to entertain for an hour or so.
The misquotation, taking in the top-left to bottom-right diagonal is:
(IF) YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN ALL THE DOWNS ARE LOSING THEIRS
The title of the puzzle hinting at the missing word and the source of the original quotation.
Unfortunately I didn’t have time to comment on each clue in detail, though I’ll be happy to respond to any comments.
(XY Z)* anagram
X[Y]Z insertion
X[y]Z deletion
ZYX< reversal
uvwXY Zabc hidden answer
X.Y.Z. initial letter or letters
.X.Y.Z final letter or letters or odd letters
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KARYOSOME | (A SMOKER)* | |
| 6 | COUCHEE | COHE[r]E | |
| 10 | REITERANCE | REITER CE | |
| 11 | EWHOW | WOE< | |
| 14 | TAUNTERS | (TRUANTS E)* | |
| 15 | KELP | KELP[y] | |
| 16 | ABIOSIS | A BIO SIS | |
| 18 | STEEN | SET* | |
| 20 | LYRICALLY | CYRIL* L.Y. | |
| 23 | COLTSFOOT | COS FOOT | |
| 25 | ATHEIST | stATISTician | |
| 27 | OUTDOOR | O TOUR* | |
| 28 | FULL-BLOWN | (FOUL L[i]B[e]L)* | |
| 29 | KOMISSARS | K.O. MIS[e]RS | |
| 31 | SIREN | dd SIN | |
| 32 | TRILOBATE | TRI[B.A.]TE | |
| 34 | HEMS IN | HEM[a]N | |
| 37 | PARABEMA | PAR[ABE]MA | |
| 39 | ANGER | .A.E.R | |
| 40 | LENGTHSMAN | G[i]LES* MAN | I can’t see where the N comes from here. |
| 41 | REISSUE | (SURE S)* | |
| 42 | REHEARSED | RE[HE A]ED | |
| Down | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SKRIK | KIRK< | |
| 2 | ORIEL | dd RIEL | |
| 3 | ESTOP | POTS< | |
| 4 | POETRY | OE TRY | |
| 5 | BECUBITUS | CUB in SUITE* | |
| 6 | SCENICAL | A in LICENC[e]* | |
| 7 | NOTT | dd OTT | Over The Top |
| 8 | CHEESY | (EH YES)* | |
| 9 | NEWS | .E.W.S | |
| 12 | NORI | OR I | |
| 13 | ACETOUS | ETC* O US | |
| 17 | ASHTON | SH TON | Sir Frederick Ashton, choreographer. |
| 18 | ESCORT | SCO[R]T | |
| 19 | BEST | dd EST | |
| 21 | PROFITEER | (TO FIRE)* .ER | |
| 22 | DISLIMN | I[SLIM]N | |
| 24 | FORMABLE | (BE MORAL)* | |
| 26 | XIBS | dd IBS | Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| 29 | SKIRRS | KIR RS | |
| 30 | CREAGH | AG in HER< | |
| 33 | BRAE | EAR< | not sure about ‘falls down’ as a reversal indicator. |
| 34 | CHOSE | dd HOSE | |
| 35 | KEEMA | ME[d]EA* | |
| 36 | ON-END | N END | |
| 37 | SPAR | dd PAR | |
| 38 | TABU | ABU[na] | |