Enigmatic Variations 1701 Odd Couples by Luxor

Relatively simple instructions this week. Six definitions in across clues moved to down clues and vice versa. These make pairs of entries to be highlighted in different colours.

About half a dozen clues in I’d an idea of the theme  and it wasn’t even the correct pairings Tiger from 13ac with 4dn. In reality each thematic pair made a compound creature with the across answer first

• TIGER SHARK;
• LOBSTER MOTH;
• BUFFALO FISH;
• SPIDER MONKEY;
• STAG BEETLE;
• BARNACLE GOOSE

All that remained was to shade each pair in a different colour – in my case with 4 highlighters I opted for two pairs striped.

A fun puzzle – Thanks Luxor

The associated clues are gathered together in the across answers.

Key * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. reversed; Underline definition; Pairs grouped in across answers

Across
1 Chap coming from the East in time for extra designation (6)
Rev, man(chap) in age(time) = AGNAME

6 Let oneself down in ropey manner as false statement gets rejected on a balance sheet (6)
Rev. lie (false statement) after a + bs(balance sheet) = ABSEIL

12 Examines progress ever so carelessly (8, two words)
go (progress) + (ever so)* = GOES OVER

13 Extortionist catching game with American ward (5)
13 Woods perhaps catching game with American ward (5)
tig (catching game) + er (American ward) = TIGER
34 Woods perhaps quiet and sinister without leader (5)
34 Extortionist quiet and sinister without leader (5)
sh(quiet) + dark(sinister) – d (leader) = SHARK

14 Doubt expressed after bolts fractured in aircraft (7)
14 Doubt expressed after bolts fractured in Aged British soldier (7)
(bolts)* + er (doubt expressed) = LOBSTER
4 Aged British soldier in hospital following annual check-up (4)
4 Aircraft in hospital following annual check-up (4)
h(hospital) after MOT (annual check-up) = MOTH

16 Bore with audio-visual echo (4)
w(with) + av(audio visual) + e(echo) = WAVE

17 Make joint decision swapping centre of Leek for a grave location (4)
agree (make joint decision) swapping ee (centre of leek) for a = AGRA

18 Creatures existing in half of best local meadows (6)
be(half of best) + ings(local meadows) = BEINGS

20 Search enthusiast regularly used balloon (7)
20 Search enthusiast regularly used to casually overawe in Texas (7)
buff(enthusiast) + bAlLoOn = BUFFALO
36 Loud husband is first to casually overawe in Texas (4)
36 Loud husband is first to Search (4)
f(loud) + is + h(husband) = FISH

23 Lose head in place of dead producing old weapon (5)
morgue(place of dead) – m (head) = ORGUE

24 Stone wall uncovered following work (4)
al (wall uncovered) after op (work) = OPAL

25 Exciting ride after racing odds at the off making £500 (6)
25 Exciting ride after racing odds at the off making computer search programme (6)
sp(racing odds) + (ride)* = SPIDER
30 First working day with essential computer search programme (6)
30 First working day with essential £500 (6)
mon (first working day) + key (essential) = MONKEY

27 Brilliant US league championship game abandoned by wise guy (6)
superbowl (US league championship game) – owl(wise guy) = SUPERB

30 Glaswegian sulk‘s silent power (4)
mum (silent) + p (power) = MUMP

31 101 hamlet dwellers short of beers in the community (5)
CI (101) + villagers(hamlet dwellers) – lagers(beers) = CIVIL

33 World is against late singer (7)
orb(world) + is + on (against) = ORBISON

34 Flawed adverts lacking depth cause fuel deprivation (6)
(adverts – d)* = STARVE

37 Overhang platform briefly (4)
37 Shadow platform briefly (4)
stage(platform) – e = STAG
29 Shadow stalker intermittently trailing busybody (6)
29 Overhang stalker intermittently trailing busybody (6)
sTaLkEr after bee(busybody) = BEETLE

39 One thousand either side of Irish church (4)
kk (one thousand either side) of ir(Irish) = KIRK

40 Strike back as cold unclothed in shade (7)
Rev rap(strike) + as + cold – cd = PARASOL

41 Rough dialect ignored in delicatessen somewhere in Germany (5)
delicatessen – (dialect)* = ESSEN

42 Rudely grab snack discovered after pub lounge emptied (8)
42 Tenacious companion snack discovered after pub lounge emptied (8)
bar(pub) + snack – sk + le (lounge emptied) = BARNACLE
2 Sentimentality seen from time to time in tenacious companion (5)
2 Rudely grab sentimentality seen from time to time (5)
goo(sentimentality) + SeEn (from time to time) = GOOSE

43 Present limits of seriously unconventional belief (6)
here(present) = sy (limits of seriously) = HERESY

44 Sweetener is a piece of cake to serve (6)
hidden caKE TO SErve = KETOSE

Down
2 Sentimentality seen from time to time in tenacious companion (5)
See above

3 Fine bristles covering fawn-skin (6)
Hidden fiNE BRIStles = NEBRIS

4 Aged British soldier in hospital following annual check-up (4)
See above

5 Entity behind this puzzling series quits (5)
ens(entity) after ev (this puzzling series) = EVENS

7 Mac’s to pierce acceptable base for footwear (6)
brog(to pierce) + u (acceptable) + e (base) = BROGUE

8 Created trust with fair produce from carambola tree (9)
(trust + fair)* = STARFRUIT

9 Somewhat fierce para gives backing for Brazilian waterway (7)
Rev hidden fiercE PARA GIves = IGARAPE

10 Impose thoughtless behaviour with no charisma (4)
levity(thoughtless behaviour) – it (charisma) = LEVY

11 Carder’s tool occasionally mislaid in compound (6)
CaRdErS tOoL = CRESOL

12 Good throw with uncased test balls (6)
g(good) + lob(throw) + es (uncased test) = GLOBES

15 Vacantly signify gesture of assent in religious meeting (5)
sy (vacantly signify) + nod (gesture of assent) = SYNOD

17 Forbidden to waste time, blow the whistle on drugs (7)
tabu(forbidden) – t (time) + sing(blowthe whistle) = ABUSING

19 Rock from outburst of generosity sadly excluding yours truly (9)
(genoristy -I)* = GREYSTONE

21 Play about high flyer (4)
DD LARK

22 Urge on to make bloomer in wake of 21 (4)
lark(21) + spur to make bloomer = SPUR

26 Refund money invested in counterfeit rubies (7)
(rubies )* around m (money) = IMBURSE

28 The French zone in Pennsylvania shopping centre there (5)
la(the French) + z (zone) in Pa (Pennsylvania) = PLAZA

29 Shadow stalker intermittently trailing busybody (6)
See above

30 First working day with essential computer search programme (6)
See above

31 Nothing in vehicle bill of sale for clan chiefs in Dublin (6)
o(nothing) in car(vehicle) + bs(bill of sale) = COARBS

32 Peasant uprising combined operations for wall painting (6)
rev. serf *peasant) + co(combined operations) == FRESCO

34 Woods perhaps quiet and sinister without leader (5)
See above

35 Ordinary learner chasing half a dozen small instruments (5)
o(ordinary) + l (learner) after vi(half a dozen) + s (small) = VIOLS

36 Loud husband is first to casually overawe in Texas (4)
See above

38 English ranger now and then missing bird (4)
e (english) + RaNgEr = ERNE