Enigmatic Variations No1286 – Resistance by Augeas

We have an abundance of instruction this week. All but two clues contain extra words. The first letters of these words (and the numbers of the other two clues) give an instruction. Nine ringed cells give a thematic object and surname.

The theme is the film ‘Stand By Me’/the short story, ‘The Body’, on which that film is based.

The first letters of the extra words in the clues/clue numbers (shaded red in the grid below) read:

SHADE IN THE 24 CELLS NAMING THE 4 CHUMS AND THE DEAD BOY

The 4 chums are:

• GORDIE Lachance
• CHRIS Chambers
• TEDDY Duchamp
• VERN Tessio

The dead boy, whose body the chums set out to find, is RAY BROWER.

The letters from the nine ringed cells* (shaded blue) can be rearranged to give TRAIN (a thematic object; the film includes a scene where the boys outrace a steam train) and KING (a surname related to the theme; ‘The Body’ is by Stephen King, and the titular song is by Ben E King).

I’m not sure where the title of the puzzle comes from, but then I haven’t read the story or watched the film.

 

*The printed edition in fact had an extra N and no I.

Notation

(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
supper = extra word that must be removed

Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.

Across
S	1	LEGUMINOSAE	{GOALIE’S supper MENU}* involved beans, etc. (11)
H	11	AGON	Classic struggle to be GO (finished) [between] A hoplite and N (knight) (4)
A	12	UNANIMOUS	Almost of one voice, UN AN (article) < [backed] SUOMI (Finland) (9)
D	13	SELF	Very old deep bow in one piece (4)
E	16	SCIATICAS	Inflammatory diseases with A TIC (twitch) [in] epithelial < [back] SAICS (vessels) (9)
I	17	ALUM	Chemical C (Coulomb) and CI (Curie) [distilled from] CALCIUM iodate (4)
N	19	USURY	[Every now and then], PUBS need QUIRKY interest (5)
T	21	SAE	American car people, so trusted in Aberdeen (3)
H	22	SITREPS	[Excited] PRIESTS* making updates heard (7)
E	23	POLT	RAF and army officers beat everyone locally (4)
24	24	HEBR	B (BEGINNING [at the beginning]) [in] HER book (4)
C	26	OEIC	I (Current) [in] OECD [ignoring] considerable D (Dutch) investment (4)
E	28	UEYS	[Polled] QUEY (heifers in one Perth) execute turns in another (4)
L	29	EGG-COSY	EGG (Bomb) looks COSY (comfortable) – it must be removed before soldiers are deployed (7)
L	30	ESC	In brief, bread [starts to] ENFOLD luscious SULTANAS, CURRANTS (3)
S	32	WONGI	Chat WON (reached) sad GI (soldier) (5)
N	34	ECHE	Will’s to eke out [some] nourishing leECHEs (4)
A	36	TV DINNERS	Around five am, isn’t nerd cooking pre-prepared food? (9, two words)
M	39	TREK	Many migrate east from Russian river (4)
I	40	EPIDERMAL	Inflammation of the skin for superhero changing wings to heal evenly (9)
N	41	HEBE	Plant [found in] tHE nursery BEd (4)
G	42	SYDNEYSIDER	New generation South Walian {NERYS DIED}* [feverishly] [after] SY (STAY [on vacation]) (11)
Down
T	1	LASSU	U (Universal) [support] for LASS (girl) teaching slow movement (5)
H	2	GOLIATH	GOTH (Rude person) with heart < AIL (trouble) [rising] in powerful organisation (7)
E	3	UNFAIREST	Ugliest FAIR (old woman) exhibited in U (classy) NEST (residence) (9)
4	4	MUST	New wine essential (4)
C	5	NARC	Drug cop condemns R (Republican) [in] < CAN (prison) [rising] (4)
H	6	SINSYNE	SYNE (Washing down) [after] SIN (gluttony perhaps); hangover since then (7)
U	7	AMLA	AA (Lava) [surrounds] M (medium) L (large) upas tree (4)
M	8	EORLS	Old English warriors [thrashed] LOSER* mercilessly (5)
S	9	MUTUALISM	Symbiosis UT (as) [in] DUALISM with [twice as many supporters initially] (9)
A	10	ISOMETRY	Equality of measure IS O (nothing) abstruse; TRY [after] ME (8)
N	14	DISPROOVE	Ed’s to reject [confused] {PROSE – nugatory VOID}* (9)
D	15	TARBOGGIN	BOG (Marsh) GIN (trap) [under] TARN [bottomless] (lake) destroys sledge (9)
T	18	KINESCOPE	Part of set teeming with KINE (cattle) [on] SCOPE (range) (9)
H	20	EPICANTHI	[Among] sheEP I CAN’T help HIding folds of skin (9)
E	22	SQUEEGEE	Enjoy brush with QUEEG (captain) [in] SEE (Ely, say) (7)
D	25	BOWTIED	Smartly-dressed < TWO (couple) [set up] I (one) [in] dangerous BED (plot) (7)
E	27	COPERED	COPE (Exchange) energy RED (drink) for smuggled booze (7)
A	31	CHRIS	Arming {this lad with GUN} [when drunk could be] CRUSHING* (5)
D	33	ESKER	Ridge drops from [ends of] THE GRASS BANK BESIDE RIVER (5)
B	35	EDDY	Whirlwind blowing [from] misfirED DYnamite (4)
O	37	DAME	Comical matron D (FOUND [at last]) with M (mobile) off [in] A&E (4)
Y	38	NILS	Zeros [heartlessly] < SLAIN (killed) Yankees [getting up] (4)

 

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