“Extra letters produced by the wordplay of every clue, when read in clue order, give a version of a misattributed quotation about an ACCIDENT OF BIRTH and the person to whom it is frequently misattributed. Solvers must resolve ten clashes in the grid by selecting what he is. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
The quotation is ‘A MAN BORN IN A STABLE IS NOT A HORSE’, which is frequently misattributed to the DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
The ten clashes are in the following pairs: MALE/MARE, MAN/NAG, HOMME/HORSE, FELLA/FILLY, CHAP/COLT. In each case, the former is chosen.
Unfortunately, I can’t fully parse 16ac.
Once again, apologies for the briefness of the blog. It does not reflect any level of dissatisfaction.
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | AS ([Traces of] SOOT AND) MEAL (powdery covering) insufficiently burnt (5) | SAMEL |
| M | 5 | Old Testament patriarch, MAB (fairy queen) [and] RAH (ancient sun god) HAM (overact) (7) | ABRAHAM |
| A | 11 | Foundation of ABA (covering outer garment) [on] SIS (small sibling) (5) | BASIS |
| N | 13 | SNOD (Speyside’s neat), A ([principally] ALCOHOLIC), carbonated drink (4) | SODA |
| B | 14 | F (Strong) [and] BOLD (courageous) group with shared values (4) | FOLD |
| O | 15 | Constantly find fault with [revolutionary] < GOAN (Indian) (3) | NAG |
| R | 16 | Directed course reversing over half of (abnormal thickness of skin) (5) | AIMED |
| N | 18 | BL (British Library) NAME (nominate) responsibility for what’s wrong (5) | BLAME |
| I | 19 | USER (Drug addict) [consuming] NIWI [bits of] NOT IDENTIFIED WEED IS more foolish (7) | UNWISER |
| N | 20 | Snippets of news of M ([touch of] MALARKEY) [in] NITES (periods of darkness put informally) (5) | ITEMS |
| A | 21 | MEADOW (Field) [with C ([foremost of] CRU) rather than W (weak)] red Bordeaux (5) | MEDOC |
| S | 23 | BASS (Male singer) ON S (special) ancient wide containers (6) | BASONS |
| T | 25 | TRÈS (Very) ULT (final) outcome (6) | RESULT |
| A | 26 | Date E ( |
EPOCH |
| B | 28 | [Back-tracking], < BEFOG (thoroughly confuse) [and] R ([finally] |
GOFER |
| L | 30 | [Revolutionary] < {ART U (you [heard]) [introducing] PLUS (valuable quality)} as above (7, two words) | UT SUPRA |
| E | 32 | MEET (Come together) RE (concerning) base SI unit (5) | METRE |
| I | 34 | [Turning over] < {A PLAIT (braided strand of straw, say)}, for burrowing creatures (5) | TALPA |
| S | 35 | [Somewhat] troubLESOme sign (3) | LEO |
| N | 36 | CHANT (Celebrate in song) familiar, informal talk (4) | CHAT |
| O | 37 | < {DO LIE (make false statements)} [about] senility in former times (4) | EILD |
| T | 38 | Common soldier’s WET (feeble) [during] SAT (test) (5) | SWEAT |
| A | 39 | Scorched with invective [miserably] {SAD CHEAT}* (7) | SCATCHED |
| H | 40 | < {RE (About) PATH (track)} [going west], gradually become smaller (5) | TAPER |
| Down | |||
| O | 1 | [Sorting out] {FOAMIEST FUG, US}* exposes to smoke from below (12) | SUFFUMIGATE |
| R | 2 | ARBOR (Shady US garden alcove) NE (not once) tolerated long ago (6) | ABORNE |
| S | 3 | MARS Essentially [reveals] (darkish area) (4) | MARE |
| E | 4 | Boundary fortification [put up] – < {SEE (observe) MIL |
LIMES |
| D | 6 | Exclude BAND (group of conspirators) (3) | BAN |
| U | 7 | Accomplish {A |
REALISE |
| K | 8 | Heroin’s [unexpectedly] KOSHER* (5) | HORSE |
| E | 9 | Cancels AD (publicity) E (E |
ADEEMS |
| O | 10 | [Unusual] {ETHOS AT A DRAMA}* – completely bananas! (12, four words) | MAD AS A HATTER |
| F | 12 | Colour’s SAFE (fine) BLUE (to squander) [including] X ([last of] |
SAXE BLUE |
| W | 17 | [Lacking] N ( |
GIOS |
| E | 18 | Clacking rackets of BATTLES (conflicts) [involving] RE (engineers) (8) | BRATTLES |
| L | 22 | Small Irish boat’s CURL (curved shape) [principally] R |
CURRACH |
| L | 24 | Work of O (old) [with] PLUS (a positive quality) (4) | OPUS |
| I | 25 | Modern language of ROMA (Italy’s capital) ICI (chemical industry company) (6) | ROMAIC |
| N | 27 | Design CRENATE (with a notched edge) (6) | CREATE |
| G | 29 | Lively lass, |
FILLY |
| T | 31 | S (Small) MOW (cut) [disheartened] T |
SMOWT |
| O | 33 | COOL (Slightly cold) T (temperature) for revolver (4) | COLT |
| N | 35 | LONE (Unmarried) love in Gretna Green (3) | LOE |
…and after the thematic string moves naturally within the completed grid…
Thanks Mister Sting…and Chalicea…very enjoyable…and educational.
I had 16A as half of (SCLERO)DE(R)MIA,reversed.
Thanks, Mr Sting and mc_rapper.