“Clues are normal and in conventional order; bars (which would not be symmetrical) must not be shown. Numbers given are answer lengths. Three cells each containing more than one letter must have each group replaced by a symbol. In the completed grid 20 cells containing two names and one letter showing a position in a sequence must be highlighted and three letters italicised; the centre cell is left empty. Solvers must empty six further cells which allow BAND TO reset, leaving real words. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
The theme is Test Card F, shown below:
The test card shows Carole Hersee and the clown Bubbles. They are placed thematically in the grid, as are the nought and cross, the F, the italicised BBC, and the digit 1.
A really sweet idea, and well executed.
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
” ” = homophone
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Comics A (acting) [in] BE (live) NOS (numbers) (6) | BEANOS |
| Wear out F (following) RAZZLE (lively spree) (7) | FRAZZLE |
| Soft cloth, BAR (without) THE [stuffing] [repeatedly] A (absent) (8) | BARATHEA |
| Detectives obEY EState [guards] (4) | EYES |
| Stop [part of] speECH Offending (4) | ECHO |
| Swamp transport BOA (snakes) [in] AIRT (direction of Inverness) (7) | AIRBOAT |
| Trial version BE |
BETA |
| Scraps SORT (rarely fit) [start to finish] (4) | ORTS |
| Scatter like gold dust, FR (frequently) [carrying] LUR (trumpet) (5) | FLURR |
| < SOB (Weep) [outside] H (hospital) [over] shocking sounds (4) | BOHS |
| Bosses [stuck together and exposed] |
UMBOS |
| [O (Nothing) for A (adult) in] CRASS (insensitive) staff (5) | CROSS [X] |
| [After swapping terminals], BAT (battery) LET (gave power to) electronic device (6) | TABLET |
| [Broken] BLADES* darkened in lines (6) | SABLED |
| Spread “FLAIR” (stylishness) [on radio] (5) | FLARE |
| Block that protects URETHR |
HURTER |
| Adjudge early T |
ARETT |
| Mineral from E (earth) ITSELF*, [processed] [into lead] (7) | FELSITE |
| Turn back < [revolutionary] moB BEfore [barricades] (3) | EBB |
| C |
CLOAK |
| Limit advantage (4) | EDGE |
| Stock managers sometimes R (run) [further backwards], [avoiding] HER (lady’s) D |
HERDESSES |
| Stand in L (line) [after] EASE (rest) (5) | EASEL |
| Measure < ERA (years from one point} [in retrospect] (3) | ARE |
| Different people – |
OTHERS |
| Pedal wear, in some places H (hard) [to stop] SOON (readily) (5) | SHOON |
| Heavy cloth, [shifted] {FAR ENOUGH}* [to cover] T [one in IT] (10) | FEARNOUGHT [FEAR0] |
| RAIT (Soak0 [peeled] |
RAITA |
| [Tangled] HAIRS* AFT (behind) ventilation inlet (8) | AIRSHAFT |
| PriZE BUll [covering] cow, maybe (4) | ZEBU |
| Hide substitute LETTER* [in anagram form], [obscuring] EA (each) THE (by so much) (11) | LEATHERETTE |
| Baltic tribesman < fougHT SEveral [bears] [going north] (4) | ESTH |
| { |
OBFUSCATE |
| < BUT (Merely) [turned] BY (away), sounding dull (5) | TUBBY |
| Missile POLARIS |
POLARIS |
| Plates for printing? T ([Head to] Twitter) ERE (before) [entering] SOS (‘help’) (7) | STEREOS |
| Elderly group of slaves RED (tidied up) [after] MAN (staff) (6) | MANRED |
| Go over SCOR |
CROSS [X] |
| TB (Disease that’s contracted) [in] LEE (shelter) left undisturbed (5, two words) | LET BE |
| Wild dog {HELD O (over)}* [barking] (5) | DHOLE |
| Group that develops from tadpoles, BU |
BUFO |
| Nymph ARO |
OREAD |
| Eat out in {THE C (cold)}*, [shivering] (4) | ETCH |
| Sound measures < [lifted] SEN (without) |
SONES [S1S] |
| B | E | A | N | O | S | F | R | A | Z | Z | L | E |
| B | A | R | A | T | H | E | A | I | E | Y | E | S |
| O | S | E | C | H | O | A | I | R | B | O | A | T |
| B | E | T | A | E | O | R | T | S | U | P | T | H |
| F | L | U | R | R | N | O | A | H | B | O | H | S |
| U | M | B | O | S | X | T | A | B | L | E | T | |
| S | A | B | L | E | D | B | O | F | L | A | R | E |
| C | N | Y | E | E | H | U | R | T | E | R | E | R |
| A | R | E | T | T | O | F | E | L | S | I | T | E |
| T | E | B | B | C | L | O | A | K | 1 | S | T | O |
| E | D | G | E | H | E | R | D | E | S | S | E | S |
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