Enigmatic Variations No.1007 – Loyalty by Samuel

I do like Samuel. I can’t remember exactly which past EVs were his, but his name is associated in my mind with a sort of pleasant, hazy, possibly-toughish-in-parts-but-fair feeling. Perhaps I’m post-rationalising, because I’d say that was a good description of this one.

There were some well-chosen ‘incorrect’ letters (17 down of the top of my head, but there were others) that kept one guessing. Personally, I was most amused by discovering the phrase ‘POKY GREMLINS’ written across the fifth line. Such light humour was entirely in keeping with the theme, as it turns out.

A bit of solving shows that she ‘possible alternatives’ seem to be nationalities, although a couple of these entries appear to have a rather unusual spelling. This oddity reveals their source. They are from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore (although not everyone knows that):

“…he might have been a ROOSIAN,
A FRENCH, or TURK, or PROOSIAN,
Or perhaps ITALIAN”

G&S fans will already know that he is none of these things, but they must wait for a moment.

The correct letters spell out this phrase:

OTHER IN SPITE OF ALL TEMPTATIONS NATIONS

which is a cryptic indication of further lines in the song (the central phrase ‘belongs to’ OTHER NATIONS).
This also indicates ‘the result of the LOYALTY’ that must be highlighted in the grid, namely:

“…in spite of all temptations
To belong to other nations,
He remains AN ENGLISHMAN!”

which we find along the NW/SE diagonal.

Here, perversely, is an Australian version of the song.

Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
wards=incorrect letter

Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.