Omitted letters from across clues – unusually along with ‘what has happened to them’ – spell out ‘an extract from a quotation’. The puzzle’s title is from the symbolised RESPONSE that is to be highlighted in the completed grid.
I found the clues such that I made steady progress. The constructions were always fair, but had enough tricks to make some of the solving/parsing enjoyably challenging.
The omitted letters spell THE BLACK BAT, NIGHT. This phrase, we are given to understand, has flown. The reference is to Tennyson’s ‘Come into the Garden, Maud’, which begins:
Come into the garden, Maud,
For the black bat, night, has flown…
The leading diagonal of the finished puzzle includes the ‘(assumed) ensuing RESPONSE’, namely EDMAUDEN, that is, MAUD in EDEN (the garden).
To my mind, this was an enjoyable, well constructed puzzle. Thanks to Giovanni.
Note that the given length of 12 across should be (5).
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
TRANSPORT = omitted letter(s)
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| T | 1 | TRANSPORT CAFES | RAN (Organised) {SPACES FOR}* [various] refreshment facilities (14) |
| H | 10 | UNEARTH | Dig up U (uranium) NEAR (close to) T (FOREST[‘s edge]) (7) |
| E | 11 | DEBUNK |
Put down BUN (food) for < [returning] KD ([empty] KID (child)} [to eat] (6) |
| B | 12 | BIDET | Bathroom feature ID EST (that is classical) [but without] S (curved feature) (4) |
| L | 13 | LODGE |
ODE (Poem) [displayed around] G (grand) abode (5) |
| A | 14 | DEROGATION | Some slackening of a rule? {GO INTO RED}* [wantonly] (10) |
| C | 15 | ENACTMENT | Law ENA (girl) TT (THAT [heartlessly]) [ensnares] MEN (chaps) (9) |
| K | 18 | BOOKIES |
Some at racecourse maybe BOO (jeer at) I (one) E ([ending in] RACE) S (second) (7) |
| B | 19 | ABELARD | Famous lover, AE (aged) and LARD (fat) (7) |
| A | 24 | MAUNDERER | Grumbler UNDER (submerged) [in] MER (French sea) (9) |
| T | 26 | PENTLANDITE | Rock AND (HAND (performer) [heading off]) in LIE (story) [by] PEN (writer) (11) |
| N | 28 | NITRY |
I TRY (test) description of air that’s very stale (5) |
| I | 29 | SNIPE | Bird < EPSN (marking on silver plate) [seen in reflection] (5) |
| G | 30 | GARISH |
Showy ARISH (field of stubble) (6) |
| H | 31 | CHORION | Part of early life form C (caught) [by] ORION (hunter) (7) |
| T | 32 | TRACHYPTERIDAE | Family of swimmers <{{A CHEERY DIP}* [refreshed], having come to A R (river)} [heading west] (14) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | RUINED |
RU (Game) {ENID (27)}* [played] at an end (6) | |
| 2 | ANDINE | A NINE (number) [catching] D (COLD [ultimately]) in certain mountains (6) | |
| 3 | NEEM | Tree NE (ONE [pollarded]), EM (ELM (tree) L (left) [to wither]) (4) | |
| 4 | PROEMS | Introductions B ([start to] BAFFLE) L (learner) [abandoning] PROBLEMS (puzzles) (6) | |
| 5 | RADON | {RAID (Attack) ON (taking place)} [lacks] I (a single) element of danger (5) | |
| 6 | ABETTOR | One to encourage A BET (risky enterprise), TOR (TORY (politician) [looking inadequate]) (7) | |
| 7 | FUSILIER |
Old English musket suits me – (US RIFLE I}* [found to be awkward] | |
| 8 | ENGORE | Pierce old ENG (English) ORE (mineral) (6) | |
| 9 | SKINKS |
Lizards KINK (breathe with difficulty), [trapped aboard] SS (ship) (6) | |
| 13 | OREAD | O (Love) and READ (READY (money) [finishing off]) nymph (5) | |
| 16 | ATLANTIC | LANT (Sand eel) [in] A TIC (twitching movement) – huge amount of water here (8) | |
| 17 | DAWLISH |
Devon town DISH (beauty), AWL (a boring type) [inside] (7) | |
| 18 | BUNDY | Aussie timepiece BUND ([not O (OPERATING [initially])] in BOUND (leap)) Y (year) (5) | |
| 19 | APPEAR | APP (Program) with EAR (organ) to be published (6) | |
| 20 | EPEIRA |
Spider, < {A (one) RIPE (fully developed)} [spinning round] E ([middle of] WEB) (6) | |
| 21 | EDITOR | <{ROT (Rubbish) I’D (‘I had) E (WROTE’ [finally])} [upset] one correcting English? (6) | |
| 22 | LEIPOA | Bird in LEI (garland) [laid on] POA (grass) (6) | |
| 23 | TRIENE | TRINE (Go) [to get E (energy)-packed] chemical (6) | |
| 25 | UNRIP | Lay bare UN (a French) RIP (person of ill-repute) (5) | |
| 27 | ENID | Name of children’s author, N (name) [in] EID (festival) (4) | |
I thought this was a nice puzzle by Giovanni, on the easier side of the EV as one might expect from Don Manley. It inspired me to dust off my Tennyson on my bookshelf for the first time in decades. In turn, this is providing me with further entertainment. Many thanks to Giovsnni on both fronts.