“The unclued entries have been practising for the COUP DE GRACE by removing a thematic group of consecutive letters from eight normally clued entries, always leaving shorter, real words to be entered in the grid. In all other clues, wordplay indicates the answer with an extra letter; in clue order these letters reveal the theme. Solvers should administer the COUP DE GRACE themselves by blacking out two symmetrical groups of six.”
The extra letters spell WILL NO ONE RID ME OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST? – HENRY II
The eight normally clued entries contain ‘turbulent priests’ (anagrams of religious titles).
The four unclued entries are LE BRETON, DE TRACY, DE MORVILLE, and FITZURSE. They rid Henry of THOMAS BECKET, who is to be blacked out.
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
FLANCONADE = removed thematic group of consecutive letters
AIL = extra letter in wordplay
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| W | 1 | MIDGES | WIDGE |
| I | 5 | CALTRAP | C (Many) AIL (have trouble) < [returning] PART (section) of weapon (7) |
| L | 10 | UREA | LURE (Trumpet) A waste product (4) |
| DEACON | 12 | FLAN |
Thrust and {A FONDLE CAN}* [upset] (4) |
| L | 14 | SIM | SLIM (Meagre) but important card (3) |
| N | 15 | MILNE | MEN* [awkwardly] [concealing] NIL (love) for children’s writer… (5) |
| O | 16 | BIRO | …writer BI ([reportedly ‘BY’ (next to)] ROO (one of his characters) (4) |
| O | 17 | RESALUTE | Acknowledge once more [injured] SEAL* [is in] ROUTE (the way) (8) |
| N | 19 | THRACE | [Broken] TRANCHE* of old European region (6) |
| E | 20 | TRASHES | Runs down ASH (one tree) [amongst] TREES (all others) (7) |
| R | 22 | TAVA | < {V (See) RAT (rodent)} [around] A griddle (4) |
| I | 24 | AMIDST | Surrounded by A (afternoon), MIST (thin fog) [covering] ID (Idaho) (6) |
| D | 25 | ELF | Fairy < FLED [back] (3) |
| M | 26 | MICROTOMIST | He cuts things fine {TO MIMIC STORM}* [somehow] (11) |
| DEAN | 28 | S |
LANDSEE |
| E | 29 | EXCISE | Tax R (rule) [disappearing from] EXE |
| PAPA | 32 | Obvious < PA (father)[’s backed] [by] PARENT (mother, perhaps) (4) | |
| O | 33 | HOLDERS | [Knackered] HORSE* [has] OLD (ancient) owners (7) |
| F | 35 | KAMEEZ | [Cleverly] {MAKE FEZ}* and tunic (6) |
| T | 40 | LIDO | LIDO (Cover) TO pool (4) |
| H | 41 | TONIC | Keynote [section of] maraTHON I Completed (5) |
| I | 43 | EAR | ER (Expressed hesitation) [about] AI (excellent) old plough (3) |
| S | 44 | TAXI | TAXIS (Old Greek body of men) that might be available for hire (4) |
| T | 45 | ARMS | [Sort of] SMART insignia (4) |
| U | 46 | BOWSIE | Disreputable person in Dublin, BOWIE (singer David) [entertains] US (6) |
| Down | |||
| R | 1 | MUSETTES | < SETTER (Someone like Gaston) [has MUS (letters) about] instruments (8) |
| B | 2 | IRISH | Countrymen’s BISH (schoolboy error) [involving] IR (the taxman) (5) |
| U | 3 | GAMMA | Ray, perhaps, [housing A (American) MUM (mother) in GA (Georgia)] (5) |
| L | 4 | SOL | Note [top half of] SOLL |
| RABBI | 5 | I CAN (am able) [to enter] BARBS (digs), being parts of castles (4) | |
| E | 6 | AFEARD | Bill’s worried there is A FEE (toll) [to go on] A RD (road) (6) |
| N | 7 | TABU | UN (A Parisian) [supporting] TAB (drug) that’s not allowed (4) |
| T | 8 | AGREE | A GREET (nod) to accept? (5) |
| CURÉ | 9 | PROD |
Manufacturers PRO (for) DUCE (Mussolini) [emptied] R |
| P | 11 | AIRCAR | PAIR (Two) CAR |
| R | 13 | LALAS | [Some] reguLAR LASs sings an accompaniment (5) |
| I | 18 | THE SEEKERS | THE SKIERS (Those going downhill) [keeping]EE (an eye in Glasgow) for old group (10, two words) |
| PASTOR | 20 | PROS (Expert’s) TAT (touch): {IT IS}* [worrying] inflammation (5) | |
| E | 21 | STIR | Prison’s S (second) TIER (level) (4) |
| S | 23 | ACED | SAD (Upset) [about] CE (Common Entrance), but passed easily (4) |
| T | 27 | MEANIE | Malicious type IE (that is) MEANT (intended) [to be first] (6) |
| H | 30 | XEROX | Run off when HERO (Bond, perhaps), [is smothered in] XX (kisses) (5) |
| E | 31 | CRETIC | CREE (Native American): TIC (Twitching) Foot (6) |
| FATHER | 33 | HAL |
Lacklustre HAL (young Prince) FHEARTED ([audibly] ‘FARTED’ (made rude noise)) (5) |
| N | 34 | OLIVE | Girl ON (performing) LIVE (right now) (5) |
| R | 36 | MACAW | MAR (Ruin) CAW (noise made by one bird) or another (5) |
| Y | 37 | EN AMI | <{I (One) [with] MANY (a lot of) E (energy)} [when turning up] as a friend (5, two words) |
| I | 38 | BOAR | Animal’s BO (unpleasant smell) [on] AIR (breeze) (4) |
| PADRE | 39 | [Deviant] PORTRAYED* like a stalker (4) | |
| I | 42 | NOB | Aristo IN OB (outside broadcast) (3) |
| M | I | D | G | E | S | C | A | L | T | R | A | P |
| U | R | E | A | A | O | A | F | L | A | N | G | R |
| S | I | M | M | I | L | N | E | A | B | I | R | O |
| E | S | O | M | R | E | S | A | L | U | T | E | D |
| T | H | R | A | C | E | T | R | A | S | H | E | S |
| T | A | V | A | A | M | I | D | S | T | E | L | F |
| E | M | I | C | R | O | T | O | M | I | S | T | I |
| S | E | L | E | X | C | I | S | E | R | E | N | T |
| H | O | L | D | E | R | S | K | A | M | E | E | Z |
| A | L | E | B | R | E | T | O | N | A | K | N | U |
| L | I | D | O | O | T | O | N | I | C | E | A | R |
| E | V | T | A | X | I | R | O | E | A | R | M | S |
| D | E | T | R | A | C | Y | B | O | W | S | I | E |