The preamble tells us to ‘demand PROTECTION’ (capitalised – although that isn’t the given title?). No answer lengths are given, but we are told that ‘[a]ll cells must be filled such that all entries are real words’, so presumably some answers will be too short for their spaces? We also have to write ‘the theme word’ under the grid – a word that we’re told can be formed from the added letters.
The added letters – which all form thematic words (e.g. BLOOD) – can be arranged to spell HALLOWE’EN, confirming that 26 reads TRICK OR T(H)REAT.
I really enjoyed this. There’s a lot of thematic material even in the ‘non-thematic’ clues – in fact, the theme has ‘infected’ all the clues to some degree. I also liked the creative cluing.
(I’m not sure what the solution of the PREVENTION/PROTECTION dilemma is – I can’t see how it fits in with TREAT/THREAT. Note also that the clue for 23dn appears to lack a necessary ‘insertion’ instruction.)
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
BLOOD = additional letter(s)
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PHAT | Excellent H (bit of HORROR) [with] PAT (dead) [around] |
| 5 | SUCCUBAS | They’re diabolical SS (bodyguards) [capturing] UC (capitals) [and] CUBA (Carribean island) |
| 11 | HOSTEL | HOST ([No-]G(good) GHOST (spectre)) EL ([heads to] ENTRANCE LOBBY) in inn |
| 12 | TOWPATH | It’s by the canal, T (tense) OW (pain cry) – PATH (the bit PSYCHO leaves out) |
| 14 | SOYA | OY (Mac’s grandchild) [is imprisoned by] SA (‘it’) – it’s dark but quite saucy |
| 16 | BLOOD | Person with BO (bad smell) D (departs) |
| 17 | BEAST | BESET (Hostilely surrounded), [lacking] E (energy), and that’s by no means the worst |
| 18 | SEE | Have apprehension in bishop’s office |
| 19 | ISTLE | To resIST LEmures [shows] some fibre |
| 21 | SAHEL | SA (Group of antiquaries) [coming before] HEL (death goddess) in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | STEN | TEN (Cardinal’s) [behind] S (strangeness) in Jock’s Dart Of Pain |
| 25 | FIEND | Discover D ([last of] UNDEAD) [by] FIN (end of foreign film?) |
| 26 | TRICK OR THREAT | Unclued (three words) |
| 28 | NOT ON | Impossible TON (weight) [swings both ways from the centre] (two words) |
| 29 | CHITS | C (CARRIE [at first]) HITS (is disturbing for) girls |
| 31 | UNCTION | F (Female) [by] this divine grace is FUNCTION (to carry on) |
| 32 | KEEN | Piercing wailing over the dead |
| 33 | UGHS | [Mutant] HUGS* and cries of horror |
| 34 | TRAGI | Hairy developments, [almost] TRAGIC (disastrous) |
| 36 | TENANTS | TEN ANTS (A number of insects) – for a while they take over the property |
| 38 | ISSEIS | Japanese Yanks SE (SURE [losing heart]) [in clutches of] ISIS (Egyptian deity) |
| 39 | BLANKET | Something obscuring BET (hazard), [innerly] LANK (lifeless) |
| 40 | CHANGELING | C ([Leader of] CRIMINALS) HANGING (on the gibbet) is metamorphosing |
| 41 | YES | EYES (Witnesses) [first to be bumped off?] Indeed |
| Down | ||
| 1 | PHOBIST | As HOB (mischievous spirit) [appears in] PIST ([short] PISTE (track)) he’s afraid |
| 2 | HOWL | [Chiefs of] HUNDREDS OF WIGHTS in rural burial mound |
| 3 | ASSOT | Make a fool of A (All) SS (Saints) and OT (much of the bible) |
| 4 | KEYDESK | KK ([Empty] KIRK) [full of] {EYES [protecting] D (deserted)} section of church organ |
| 5 | SLABS | S (ZOMBIES [finally]) [going over] LABS (the research stations) and they’re seen in the mortuary |
| 6 | UTTERER | ‘WOODCUTTER [chopped in half]’, [by] ER (Emergency Room) spokesman? |
| 7 | CWMS | [Heads of] CRUEL WATER MONSTERS SURFACING in mountain hollows |
| 8 | UPSTAIRS | This higher plane neutral? After disturbance it’s supernatural perhaps? |
| 9 | BANSHEES | B (Bloody) ASHES (remains) and things that go bump |
| 10 | SHIELD | Protection from DEVILISH* [bats], [knocking VI (six) out] |
| 13 | TWEENAGER | Maturing child {WENT* [mad] [with] RAGE*}, [grasping] E ([end of] AXE) |
| 15 | HAUNTING | HUN ([Motherless] HUMAN) TING (THING (creature), H (hard) [to escape]), is seeking prey |
| 20 | STRONGISH | [Devil] ROSSNIGHT* ({CROSSING AT NIGHT}*? [That’s not] ACTING* [crazy]), it’s pretty tough |
| 22 | WITCHES | {THIS CE ([hollowed out] CREATURE)}* [collapses] and dies |
| 23 | SCOTSMEN | The likes of Macbeth with COT (bed) SS ([not LIT (illuminated)] SLITS) MEN (kings and such) |
| 27 | TANISTS | Chief inheritors [almost] SAD [to break away from] SATANISTS (devil-worshippers) |
| 28 | NUUK | [Playing with] {this Arctic capital city, B (black) ELF}* [produces] BLUE FUNK |
| 29 | CORPSE | Army division and COPS (police) [capturing] R (SPIDER [finally]) |
| 30 | TUINA | |
| 32 | KIANG | Wild animal KING (power in the land) [drinks] A (type of blood) |
| 34 | TWIG | W (Weak) [being fed to] TIG (‘it’), get wise |
| 35 | INKY | Like dark night SLINKY (moving as snake) [with no] SL (SOUL, [heartlessly]) |
| 37 | ELI | VampirE LIkes [to possess] a priest |
I took the prevention/protection and treat/threat ‘dilemma’ to be the fact that ‘trick or treat’ is supposed to be just that – if you don’t give the little critters a ‘treat’ then they carry out a ‘threat’ – throw eggs at your door, put flour through your letterbox, etc. – except that in these politically-correct and hyper-sensitive, not to mention litigative and CCTV-monitored, days they are all shadowed by their parents, and we all just give them a packet of Haribos to hasten their next trip to the dentist…where the real horror begins!…
How embarrassing. Prevention was the title of my previous EV outing!
I see this one was (correctly) titled Protection [as in protection racket] right up until the final proof. I really should have spotted that and corrected it. Mea Culpa.
Apologies for the confusion, thanks for the blog, and congratulations, mc_rapper67, on deciphering my true opinion on the nature of TrickOrTreating.