“In WEIGHTWATCHERS’ ADVICE, two clues are normal, but their answers must be entered thematically. From the answer to every other clue a letter must be deleted wherever it appears before entry into the grid; definitions refer to the full unmutilated answer, and wordplay to the grid entry. In clue order, the omitted letters give a phrase followed by its definition. This definition should help solvers with the entry method of the two normal clues. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
The omitted letters spell DINE WITH DUKE HUMPHREY TO GO WITHOUT A MEAL.
Accordingly, the two normal answers are lacking TEA and SUPPER.
The Ace of Hearts is a new setter to me, but I’d be happy to play their game again. They are quite the card. Etc.
Notati
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
FLABBILY = deleted letter(s)
PLATEAU = meal gone without
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | MIDDLE OF THE ROAD | Unexciting MILE (race) OF (from) THE ROA |
| I | 11 | FLABBILY | {AB (Sailor) [with] BL (British Legion)} [boarding] FLY (flight) inefficiently (7) |
| N | 12 | CONTOS | {COST O (nothing)} [to cook] bread in Brazil (5) |
| E | 13 | ILEUM | Small intestine part I < MUL |
| W | 14 | CATWALK | CA (In Scotland call) TALK (to speak about) banquette (6) |
| I | 15 | PERFIDY | Treason PER (by) F (female) DY (D |
| T | 18 | INAMORATO | O (Ohio) [follows] I (Idaho) [in repressing] < ROMAN (novel) [about] A man in love (8) |
| H | 19 | ALCAHEST | Wide-ranging solvent [ruined] {A CASTLE}* (7) |
| 21 | PLATEAU | Even out PLATE (sheet of metal) [in front of] A (American) U (university) (4) | |
| D | 23 | DORAS | Spiny fish [featuring regularly in] |
| U | 24 | MEUNIERE | MEN (Servants)< EREI [return] ( |
| K | 26 | KNIGHTAGE | Nobles collectively AGE (grow old) [after] NIGHT (dark) (8) |
| E | 30 | RETRIEVER | Repossessor’s RR ([repeatedly] R (right)) [about] TR (transactions) [facing] IV (drip) (6) |
| H | 31 | NEITHER | NITER (Saltpeter) [to absorb] E (Ecstasy), not at all (6) |
| U | 32 | QUART | Four-card sequence from Q (queen [initially]) [leading] ART (trick) (4) |
| M | 33 | ECOMAP | < PACE (Amble) [back] [round] O (old) green plan (5) |
| P | 34 | APPALOOSA | Horse in the AA (Australian Army) [eating] ALOOS (potatoes) (7) |
| H | 35 | SCALENOHEDRON | SCALE (Climb) {ON DRONE}* [to construct] geometrical figure (12) |
| Down | |||
| R | 2 | RILLET | Tiny stream in ISLET (small island) L (lake) [for] S (saint) (5) |
| E | 3 | LAURACEAE | LAURA (Woman) CA (about) to get family that grows? (7) |
| Y | 4 | OBEDIENTLY | Dutifully DIE (pass away) [among] O (old) BENT (determined) L (LOYALISTS [primarily]) (9) |
| T | 5 | FLUTY | Like the sound emitted from a wind instrument FLU ([on radio] FLEW (soared)) Y (LOUDLY [at last]) (4) |
| O | 6 | TYCOONATE | Y (Unknown) CN ( |
| G | 7 | GEOTROPIC | EO ([Begins to] EXPLORE OUTWARD) TROPIC (sun’s turning point) concerning plant’s reaction to gravity (8) |
| O | 8 | ROTATOR | RR (Bishop) [protects] TAT (Indian pony), one that turns wheels (5) |
| W | 9 | WOOLF | Novelist FOOL |
| I | 10 | I ASK YOU | Would you believe it, from A SKY (the heavens) OU (South African man) appears? (6, three words) |
| T | 13 | TIPCAT | Game [characters participating in] |
| H | 16 | HEMPNETTLE | Weed NET (let) [into] TEMPLE* [accidentally] (9) |
| O | 17 | HASH TOTAL | Computerised storage address {THAT L (learner) HAS}* [mixed up] (8, two words) |
| U | 20 | SUMATRAN | Indonesian inhabitant RAN (chased) [after] S (Southern) MAT (coaster)? (7) |
| T | 22 | LEVITATOR | One who makes light VIA (through) [entering] [complex] ROLE* (7) |
| 23 | ON ONE’S UPPERS | Broke {OPEN U.S. PERSON}* [in rehab] (6, three words) | |
| A | 25 | ERRATA | List of mistakes |
| M | 27 | GLIOMA | [Uninitiated] |
| E | 28 | REVERSO | Fencing stroke RV (Queen Victoria) [introduced to] RS (distinguished scientists) [with] O (BRAVADO [finally]) (5) |
| A | 29 | MECCA | Holy city EC (EACH COMMUNITY [originally]) [established in] MC (Monaco) (4) |
| L | 30 | REALO | Green Party member RE (concerned with) < OA |
| M | I | L | E | O | F | T | H | E | R | O | A |
| F | L | A | B | B | L | Y | C | O | T | O | S |
| I | L | U | M | E | U | C | A | T | A | L | K |
| P | E | R | F | D | Y | N | E | R | T | F | Y |
| C | T | A | H | I | N | A | M | O | R | A | O |
| A | L | C | A | E | S | T | P | P | L | A | U |
| O | R | A | S | N | M | E | N | I | E | R | E |
| N | I | G | H | T | A | G | E | C | V | R | R |
| O | M | L | T | L | T | R | T | R | I | V | R |
| N | E | I | T | E | R | E | T | Q | A | R | T |
| E | C | O | A | P | A | A | L | O | O | S | A |
| S | C | A | L | E | N | O | E | D | R | O | N |
A DNF for me. In a busy week of other stuff I laid this aside less than halfway through, to save my brain from further pummelling – thanks for the explanations, Mr Sting, and to the Ace…