Enigmatic Variations 1110 Joined Forces by Ifor

Three answers with indistinct definitions- two of which need to be replaced with associated two word phrases to resolve the grid clashes. Several clues with misprints too – so which forces are being joined I wonder? And there’s more in the preamble too

 

It wasn’t till very close to the end that I solved any of the three indistinctly defined clues, which predictably were 1ac, 22ac and 37ac.This meant that all the across clues were normal and each down clue that crossed one or more of these had that number of misprints in the definition.

 

Resolving the misprints gave CLIVE DUNN and IAN LAVENDER which were the actors who played the characters at 1ac and 37ac (FRANK PIKE) and (JACK JONES) in Dad’s army. 22ac proved to be WARDEN HODGES.

The crossing letters of 1ac were S*up*d*oy or Pike’s regular description STUPID BOY, whilst 37ac transformed to DON’T PANIC, Jones’ catchphrase.

 

So what to do with the third – Warden Hodges – his catch phrase being PUT THAT LIGHT OUT. My interpretation of this was to remove the entry for 22ac entirely.

 

Good fun with a well-known theme that took till nearly the end to be fully revealed for me – just how I like them. Thanks Ifor.

   

Key

* Anagram; rev – Reverse; DD Double definition; underline – definition; Italic – indistinct definitions

 ACROSS

1 First to fire weapon, accepting order? (9, two words)

F (first to fire) + pike (weapon) around rank (order) = FRANK PIKE

10 Turned screw, one with spin to considerable length (8)

Rev warder(screw as in prison) + I (one) + w (with) = WIREDRAW

12 Indian beast of burden ordinary, not unusual (4)

O (ordinary) + (not)* = OONT

14 Young woman fighting suit on both sides (4)

GI (fighting suit) + rl (both sides – right and left) = GIRL

15 Mature years are good either side of eighty-one (3)

A (are) + g (good) + e(either side of Eighty-onE) = AGE

16 Heating vessel bursting meant losing money (4)

(meant-m)* = ETNA

18 Muddy inlet obscuring lake mollusc (6)

(inlet + l(lake))* = TELLIN

19 Hide house the people let on and off (6)

ThE pEoPlE lEt = TEEPEE

20 Giving form to hazy trance (6)

(trance)* = CREANT

22 Showed danger when lit up? (12, two words)

(showed danger) = WARDEN HODGES

25 Strange person likewise retiring to tidy ground (6)

Rev. Do (likewise) + (tidy)* = ODDITY

27 One who relaxes outside tense period of year (6)

Easer (one who relaxes) around t (tense) = EASTER

30 Trees at a distance, for instance (6)

Afar (at a distance) + as (for instance) = AFARAS

32 Shoot following rage (4)

F (following) + ire (rage) = FIRE

33Siamese cat not caught turning independent (3)

Rev (cat – c) + I (independent) = TAI

34 Celebratory meal, but no special achievement (4)

Feast (Celebratory meal) – s (special) = FEAT

35 Actual existence looks inside out (4)

Sees (looks) inside out = ESSE

36 Rarely refresh rebuke hiding uncovered secret (8)

Rate(rebuke) around ecre (uncovered secret) = RECREATE

37 Old chap, one heading to join section after butchering (9, two words)

Jack (old chap) + j (heading to join) + one + s (section) = JACK JONES

 DOWN 

	1 Mute coalition of west and east, briefly (5)
C	Cute coalition of west and east, briefly (5)
	(west + e)* = SWEET
	2 Stage practice previously circling on the spot (5)
L	Stale practice previously circling on the spot (5)
	Ure (practice previously) around in (on the spot) = URINE
	3 Central American dagger finishes in Maya rib before tip withdrawn (4)
I	Central American digger finishes in Maya rib before tip withdrawn (4)
	Rev (a b e p) = PEBA
	4 Mound forcibly split, deserted beforehand (6)
VE	Moved forcibly split, deserted beforehand (6)
	Riven(split) after d (deserted) = DRIVEN
	5 Full person slowly swallows (3)
D	Dull person slowly swallows (3)
	Hidden slowly = OWL
	6 Wobbly base oddly made solid in different pitches (6)
UN	Wobbly base oddly made sound in different pitches (6)
	(e (base) + oddly)* = YODLED
	7 Marsupial of Australia hiding in trees (5)
	Kola (trees) around a (Australia) = KOALA
	8 Plays never seen in English isles (9)
N	Plans never seen in English isles (9)
	Eng (English) + is (islands) around neer (never) = ENGINEERS
	9 Put support into a day’s work (5)
	DD STENT
	11Knack of partly freeing split strand (3)
	Partly – ply (strand) = ART
	13 Form fresh dates in rapid succession (9)
I	Firm fresh dates in rapid succession (9)
	(dates)* + fast (rapid succession) = STEADFAST
	17 Chord’s rhythm heard (4)
A	Chard’s rhythm heard (4)
	Homonym of beat (rhythm) = BEET
	21 Warder about to arm criminal, saving time (4)
N	Wander about to arm criminal, saving time (4)
	(to arm – t)* + ROAM
	23 Poet’s made brick fly after spinning free (6)
LA	Poet’s made black fly after spinning free (6)
	Rev. rid(free) + ked (fly) = DIRKED
	24 Wizard performance wasted with just six points (6)
VE	Wizard performance vested with just six points (6)
	Hex (wizard) + act (performance) = HEXACT
	25 Western or Eastern — appropriate technology after Byzantine treatment? (5)
	(or e (eastern) + at (appropriate technology)* = OATER
	26 Flower said to change tip to yellow (5)
	(said)* + y (tip to yellow) = DAISY
	28 Two times one forming a number sum personified (5)
N	Two times one forming a number sun personified (5)
	T t (two times) + I + a + n(number) = TITAN
	29 Bowel instrument breached disastrously had sadly to be removed (5)
D	Bowed instrument breached disastrously had sadly to be removed (5)
	(breached – had)* = REBEC
	31 Become aware of letter when read out (3)
	Homonym cee (letter) = SEE
	32 Insect past flying left almost completely alone at first (4)
E	Insect pest flying left almost completely alone at first (4)
	(left- t)* + a (alone at first) = FLEA
	34 Shout style of hair’s for reshaping (3)
R	Short style of hair’s for reshaping (3)
	(for)* = FRO