A misprint in each clue, four empty cells, an unclued entry and then some artistic rendering.
Apologies for the delay in posting – Thursday had it’s moments is all I’ll say. Some tricky clues and some tricky misprints to identify. But when done they yield the following message
TWO FERN STEMS MUST EMERGE FROM ALL Fs AND ONE FROM EACH G
A little thumbing of Chambers was needed to Work out 1ac PTERIDOMANIA (A passion for ferns). So the theme is ferns or is it?
Combining this with the diamonds formed by the empty cells – one cell in from each central axis. and waiting for that penny to fly past the window gave an image of a custard cream biscuit as the image to be shown in the final grid. And how does that link to ferns well the biscuit is designed with a fern design on it.
Something along the lines of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custard_cream. The symmetry of the Fs andGs making the drawing possible. My effort was pathetic!
Thanks Pandiculator a hard workout but fun end game
Key * anagram; underline definition; Rev. reversed DD Double definition
Across
12 Brother absorbed by ball game for wager in Spain (4)
T 12 Brother absorbed by ball game for waTer in Spain (4)
br (brother) in eo (ball game) = EBRO
13 Make navy and former volunteers barrel past (6)
W 13 Make Wavy and former volunteers barrel past (6)
ta (former volunteers) + b (barrel) + by (past) = TABBY
14 Rural wife arrested by governor (4)
O 14 ROral wife arrested by governor (4)
dey(governor) around w (wife) = DEWY
15 Thanks for one and all overturning norm of taxation (7)
F 15 Thanks for one and all overturning Form of taxation (7)
Ta(thanks) + Rev. eg (for one) + all = TALLAGE
17 Voiced darknesses covering parts of spilt? (6)
E 17 Voiced darknesses covering parts of spElt? (6)
Homophone of glooms (darknesses) = GLUMES
18 Wage of pewter traded regularly in fine local economies at first (6)
R 18 WaRe of pewter traded regularly in fine local economies at first (6)
Traded Regularly In Fine Local Economies at first = TRIFLE
19 Post concert (5)
N 19 Post concerN (5)
DD STAKE
20 Wanting to have ultimate in comfort for diminutive cattle? (4)
S 20 Wanting to have ultimate in comfort for diminutive caStle? (4)
for (wanting) + t (ultimate in comfort) = FORT
22 Remove island from European Union in making reversal (4)
T 22 RemoTe island from European Union in making reversal (4)
Rev.eu (european union) + in = NIUE
23 Dry graphs picked up courses (8)
E 23 Dry grapEs picked up courses (8)
Homophone of currents (courses) = CURRANTS
25 Isolated men in pain put nail in ship (7)
M 25 Isolated men in Main put nail in ship (7)
tack (nail) in SS (ship) = STACKS
27 Followed weight loss method, cycling in women’s toga (7)
S 27 Followed weight loss method, cycling in women’s togS (7)
dieted (following weight loss method) moving letters to front (cycling) = TEDDIE
29 Axe Kermit badly in America and kill the funny frog star (8)
M 29 Axe Kermit badly in America and kill the funny froM star (8)
HELIACAL
31 Local dock almost seems to collapse (4)
U 31 Local dUck almost seems to collapse (4)
(SEEMS – S)* = SMEE
32 One reasons revolutionary end of belief (4)
S 32 One Seasons revolutionary end of belief (4)
che (revolutionary) + f (end of belief) = CHEF
33 Previously, slate likeness of draped maiden accepted (5)
T 33 Previously, sTate likeness of draped maiden accepted (5)
kore (likeness of draped maiden) + a (accepted) = KOREA
34 Make team with popular party (6)
E 34 Make teEm with popular party (6)
in (popular) + fest (party) = INFEST
37 Regularly cheat to pledge home for tax? (6)
M 37 Regularly cheat to pledge home for taM? (6)
cHeAt To PlEdGe = HATPEG
38 Theme returning amid waiting-maid’s sewing problem? (7)
E 38 Theme returning amid waiting-maid’s seEing problem? (7)
Rev. song (theme) in aia (waiting-maid) = AGNOSIA
39 Vow with centrepiece of filth leads to severed object (4)
R 39 Vow with centrepiece of filth leads to Revered object (4)
I do (vow) + l (centrepiece of filth) = IDOL
40 Grief’s times did encounter preposterously sanctimonious talk (6)
G 40 GrieG’s times did encounter preposterously sanctimonious talk (6)
Rev. met (did encounter) + pi (sanctimonious talk) = TEMPI
41 Of humans and of prayer (4)
E 41 Of humans End of prayer (4)
DD AMEN
42 What may be needed after Gail’s volatile man sees tress (12)
F 42 What may be needed after Fail‘s volatile man sees tress (12)
(man sees trees)* = REASSESSMENT
Down
1 Darling Troy on his mobile phone to be moody (7)
R 1 Darling Troy on his mobile pRone to be moody (7)
pet(darling) + t(troy) + (his)* = PETTISH
2 Two reds meeting tense advocates (4)
O 2 Two rOds meeting tense advocates (4)
t(tense) + bar(advocates) = T-BAR
3 Passage’s pioneer in favour of holding lecturer back (4)
M 3 Massage’s pioneer in favour of holding lecturer back (4)
Rev. for (in favour of) around l(lecturer) = ROLF
4 Maybe swish of tail on independent canine (6)
A 4 Maybe swAsh of tail on independent canine (6)
(tail)* + I)independent + c(canine) = ITALIC
5 Angry bees tailing old barge (5)
L 5 Angry bees tailing old Large (5)
o(old) + (bees)* = OBESE
6 Bumbling alchemists dismissing one packing similar (11)
L 6 Bumbling alchemists dismissing one Lacking similar (11)
(alchemists – I)* = MATCHLESS
7 Change seen in fall – dell border collects leaves aground, primarily (6)
F 7 Change seen in fall – Fell border collects leaves aground, primarily (6)
abut(border) around la (leaves aground primarily) = ABLAUT
8 Blacker iodine lifting relative density (5)
S 8 Slacker iodine lifting relative density (5)
I(iodine) + Rev. reld(relative density) = IDLER
9 Points evil protest zines out (9)
A 9 PAints evil protest zines out (9)
demo(protest) + (zines)* = DEMONIZES
10 Convectional arrangement, formerly correct, upheld in query (7)
N 10 ConveNtional arrangement, formerly correct, upheld in query (7)
Rev.trew(correct) in qy(query) = QWERTY
11 Two unknowns quiet in shared exercise area (4)
D 11 Two unknowns quiet in shared exercise area (4)
xy(two unknowns) + st (quiet) = XYST
16 Leaving bar tipsy – a litre bottle relaxed cuter member (9, two words)
O 16 Leaving bar tipsy – a litre bottle relaxed Outer member (9, two words)
(a litre bottle – bar)* = LITTLE TOE
20 Following a case of disease, spit towards dominant hand (4)
N 20 Following a case of disease, spiN towards dominant hand (4)
f(following) + a + de (case of disease) = FADE
21 Jack disastrously heads lager campaigns (7)
E 21 Jack disastrously heads Eager campaigns (7)
j(jack) + (heads)* = JEHADS
22 Somewhat defiantly climbing tree from experience? (4)
F 22 Somewhat defiantly climbing Free from experience? (4)
Rev. hidden = deFIANtly = NAIF
24 Stabs army member, perhaps after lewd missive (7)
R 24 StaRs army member, perhaps after lewd missive (7)
sext(lewd missive) + ant(army member) = SEXTANT
26 Warn cloths from backward times are dangerous, finally (6)
O 26 WOrn cloths from backward times are dangerous, finally (6)
Rev. eras(times) + + es (are dangerous finally) = SAREES
28 Send in shuffled tenace? (6)
M 28 Send in shuffled Menace? (6)
(sendin)*DENNIS
30 Late-starting Yankee produced fruit, having singular shed (5)
E 30 Late-starting Yankee produced fruit, having singular sEed (5)
(yankee -y)* = AKENE
31 Rice in North America has identical packaging (5)
A 31 RAce in North America has identical packaging (5)
a(america) in same(identical) = SAAME
32 Old gypsy woman versus nutter, informally? (4)
C 32 Old gypsy woman versus Cutter, informally? (4)
chi(old gypsy woman) + v(versus) = CHIV
35 Latter day Romeo essentially bolsters folio (4)
H 35 LatHer day Romeo essentially bolsters folio (4)
fo(folio) + am(day Romeo essentially) = FOAM
36 Function’s promotion of eastern craft for Will (4)
G 36 Function’s promotion of eastern Graft for Will (4)
sine(functio) moving e(eastern) forward = SIEN