I’ve got my fingers crossed for an EV about set theory, although I think it unlikely. Apart from that, I’m distracted by what a ferret might set out. Answers on a postcard, please…
The exchanged words relate to the titles of the first five episodes of a particular series. They are:
CAPTAIN COOK
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
MAJOR STAR
PRIVATE PLANE
GENERAL HOSPITAL
In each case, the latter word is clued, but the former is to be entered.
The extra letters spell out DARLING, MELCHETT and BALDRICK, who are a CAPTAIN, a GENERAL and a PRIVATE respectively.
The title of the sixth episode, GOODBYEEE, is to be highlighted.
These are titles of, and characters from, the fourth and final series of BLACKADDER, which is what 19 down must be changed to.
FOUTH is changed to FORTH, which is whither ‘BLACKADDER GOES (or SETS OUT).
An interesting choice of Remembrance Day tribute.
I’m afraid several clues have beaten me, namely 37ac, 11dn, and 25dn.
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
FOUTH = letter to be altered
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOUTH | FOURTH (A quarter) R (rule) [out] affluence in Scotland (5) | |
| 5 | CAPTAIN COOK | Manipulate COOKIE (piece of code) IE (that is) [deleted] (7) | |
| 10 | LOURIE | LIE (Press) [carries] OUR flier in Cape Town (6) | |
| D | 12 | NATURE | <{RUTA (Rues) [entering] DEN (study)} [all about] nakedness (6) |
| 13 | ILEUM | I’M [obstructed by] LEU (coin) in gut (5) | |
| 14 | NAUPLII | {A LUPIN}* [damaged] by [first of] INSECT larvae (7) | |
| A | 16 | GIN | GAIN (Reach) Geneva (3) |
| 21 | TACTICAL | Adroit < CAT (man casually) [spun] TICAL (coin) (8) | |
| 23 | THROE | THE [nurses] R (take) O (nothing) for pain (5) | |
| R | 24 | HAVANA | Capital HAS [finally ignored] VARNA (Hindu caste) (6) |
| 26 | CORPORAL PUNISHMENT | Severe handling [involved] {NINE THUMPS}* (8) | |
| 29 | EPODIC | EPISODIC (‘Sporadic’) IS [taken out] of lyric poem (6) | |
| L | 31 | STARK | Plain LARK (bird) [on] ST (street) (5) |
| 32 | CLUB SODA | Soft drink L (left) [on] BUS* [in] CODA (passage) (8, two words) | |
| 37 | PIM | Am I kept in place? (3) | |
| I | 38 | SALERNO | Port AILERONS* [in need of repair] (7) |
| 39 | VIREO | Songbird [flying] OVER* [swallows] I (indeed)! (5) | |
| N | 40 | GRAEAE | ANGER* [disfigured] AE (aged) sea-deities (6) |
| G | 41 | BISTRO | [Drunken] BRITS* GO (leave) small bar (6) |
| 42 | GENERAL HOSPITAL | [Craft] SHOP* [next door to] ITAL (Italian) home (7) | |
| 43 | MAJOR STAR | Brilliant STARE (glare) [reduced] (5) | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | FLIGHT DECK | LIGHT (Clue) D (deleted) when entering FECK (number); you could put 15 down here (10, two words) | |
| M | 2 | OOLITHS | MONOLITHS (Blocks at Stonehenge, perhaps), [deprived of] N (90) grains of rock (7) |
| 3 | TRUE | Correct [second half of] CONSTRUE (rare piece of translation) (4) | |
| E | 4 | HIM | That man CHIMED (agreed) [endlessly] (3) |
| L | 6 | ANARCH | LEAN [Short] (thin) ARCH (sly) old promoter of lawlessness (6) |
| 7 | PAUA | PAPUAN [mostly] [removing] P (soft) [centre] to get shell (4) | |
| C | 8 | AULIC | Courtly old R (king) [leaving] CRUCIAL* [exchanges] (5) |
| H | 9 | IRIS | Flag IRISH (of the Emerald Isle) (4) |
| E | 11 | ENCAMP | Spent A M (thousand) P (pence) to pitch tents (6) |
| 15 | PRIVATE PLANE | Smooth tree surface (7) | |
| T | 17 | NARCO | CARTON* [worried] law enforcement agent (5) |
| T | 18 | PTERIS | STRIP* [malformed] [round] [fringes of] TREE fern (6) |
| 19 | BLACKAMOOR | Old Negro [butchers] {COOK A LAMB R (recipe)}* (10) | |
| 20 | GOODBYE | GOOD (Enjoyable) BYE (run) later (7) | |
| B | 22 | TARSAL | TARS (Sailor’s) BALL (bullet) [clipped] ankle bone (6) |
| A | 25 | ALAAP | A hollow rock musical introduction (5) |
| L | 27 | ODDJOB | OLD (Familiar) DJ (deejay) OB (by the way) is Bond villain (6) |
| 28 | ARRIERO | ECOWARRIOR* [wanting] COW (to subdue) [savage] Spanish mule-driver (7) | |
| D | 30 | CORNEA | [Doctor] {CAN REDO}* the front of the eye (6) |
| 33 | UHLAN | THEY, with this lancer, [could be treated] for UNHEALTHY* [wound] (5) | |
| R | 34 | FARE | Go on RE (about) RAF [turning up] (4) |
| I | 35 | ARAR | Tree AI (sloth) [most] RARE (seldom encountered) [inside] (4) |
| C | 36 | VISA | [Starts to] Validate Identity Care Stamping An endorsement (4) |
| K | 39 | VIM | BolsheVIK Marxism [exhibits] this energy (3) |
25dn is ALAPA (A + lap + a[a]), and 37ac is Aim (am, with I inside). I think 11dn is meant to be an anagram of “a m pence”, giving the extra letter E.
Quite enjoyed this one, a poignant theme to be sure but one of my favourite comedies. Thanks, Ferret.
Being a big Blackadder fan, I really enjoyed this. The puzzle was presumably scheduled when it was as it appeared on the 25th anniversary of the final episode, Goodbyeee. What a shame the rumoured fifth series (about a 1960s pop group with a drummer called “Bald Rick”) never happened. Thanks, Ferret, for bringing back some good memories.