Some transformation of answers in this week’s offering from Salamanca and a connection with John, Paul, George and Ringo perhaps.
So what cunning device has Salamanca employed to transform the answers. It took a little while to spot and it was 10dn when the penny dropped for me the wordplay indicating lies and the definition LOVELIES. And the connection with the Beatles?
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
Quite challenging some of the adapted answers though in many the wordplay was quite obvious just where did the love fit in to make the definition. I have indicated all the missing love’s below.
Not much more to say – a nice theme and not immediately obvious and very accessible. I would say there are few people out there unfamiliar with the song. Many thanks Salamanca.
* Anagram; Rev. reverse; DD double definition; Underline = definition
ACROSS
1 Nitre sprinkled in can’s right for trailing plant (8, two words)
(Nitre)* + wc(can) + r LOVE = WINTER-CLOVER
8 Warm garment with turned up leather on the outside (4)
Rev.(up) + lr (leather on the outside) LOVE = PULLOVER
12 I own up to being a drunken type (4)
(iown)* = WINO
13 Alluring female doesn’t finish period (4)
Houri (alluring female) – I = HOUR
14 Deserve new organ in the first place (4)
Ear (organ) + n (new) = EARN
15 Look for and recognise knight (4)
See (recognise) + k (knight) = SEEK
16 Crude hamper containing lids of op art jars from yesteryear (8)
(hamper + o a)* = AMPHORAE
17 That chap’s broken shin (4)
(shin)* = HIS’N
18 Nag so it’s awkward for communists (8)
Tit (nag?) + (soits)* + TITOISTS
19 Root veg stranger when turned right away (4)
Rev (odder (stranger)) – r = EDDO
21 Reserve returned confined snake (7)
Rev (res (reserved)) + pent (confined) = SERPENT
24 Wader’s carved prone on middle of gemstone (7, two words)
(prone)* + st + LOVE = STONE PLOVER
27 Part of hawk’s beak — vermin escaping from 23, and 14 distraught (4)
23 = Narrate – rat or (earn)* = NARE
29 Indian chief’s long story again? (8)
Saga (long story) + more (again?) = SAGAMORE
31 One to live without agile climber (4)
I (one) + be (live) + x (without) = IBEX
33 Bedaubs girl restraining troublesome mare (8)
Bess (girl) around (mare)* = BESMEARS
34 Curves — cars crash here (4)
(cars)* = ARCS
35 Young hawk turning for example by front of nest (4)
Rev. (say – for example + n (start of nest)) = NYAS
36 Beast one early conservationist docked (4)
A (one) + Noah (early conservationist) – h = ANOA
37 Verse once suitable to the ear (4)
Homonym (fit – suitable) = FITT
38 Opposing directions given to the railway? It’s sloppiness (4)
Sn (opposing directions) + ry (railway) + LOVE = SLOVENRY
39 Doc often worked like the devil, say (8, two words)
(doc often)* + LOVE = CLOVEN FOOTED
DOWN
1 Plough the raw snowdrift (6)
(theraw)* = WREATH
2 Is it man — otherwise it’s a plant (7)
(isitman)* = INAMIST
3 Pretentious prickly bush outside old pub (7)
Thorn (prickly bush) around in (old form of Inn) = TINHORN
4 Forbid nurse to associate (6)
En (nurse) + join (associate) = ENJOIN
5 Deferments of payment as the French leave posh cars (5)
Rollers – le (the French) + LOVE = ROLLOVERS
6 He’ll probably misdeal the ace, right! (7)
(the ace r)* = CHEATER
7 Shrub sprung up (4)
DD ROSE
9 I reused nasty organic compounds (7)
(I reused)* + UREIDES
10 False statement by Sun to beautiful girls (4)
Lie (flase statement) + s (sun) + LOVE = LOVELIES
11 Incur the chance of losing independence not giving token of affection (6, two words)
Risk (incur) – I (independence) + not + LOVE = LOVERS-KNOT
15 Novel he’s rewritten (3)
(hes)* = SHE
20 Motorcycle accessory adapted for race (7)
(for race)* = FORECAR
21 Health resort in retrospect to designate Scot with foresight (7)
Spa (health resort) + Rev. (name – designate) = SPAEMAN
22 Sanctimonious tutor doesn’t finish pepper (7)
Pi (sanctimonious) + mentor (tutor) – r = PIMENTO
23 Tell story about rare ant at sea (7)
(rare ant)* = NARRATE
24 American man leaving central Europeans for others (6)
Bosnians (central Europeans) – bo (American man) + LOVE = SLOVENIANS
25 Filmed deer getting round part of Central African republic (6)
Bambi (filmed deer) + o (round) = BAMBIO
26 Having strap on leg sounds like a joke (6)
Homonym (jest – like a joke) = JESSED
28 Former mates live without it when separated (3)
Exist (live) – it = EXS
30 Fogs confuse fellow without qualification (5)
(fogs + f)* + LOVE = GLOVES OFF
32 Forbid importing farmer’s last husks of grain (4)
Ban (forbid) around r(farmer ‘s last) = BRAN
33 Group prevent king abdicating (4)
Block (forbid) – k (king) = BLOC