Central Character by Phi
Each clue with two numbers is actually two clues, side by side, not overlapping, with no intervening verbiage, either coming first. Solvers will need to determine which answer goes where. Each defined answer must lose one letter wherever it occurs to form the grid entry (which is referred to in subsidiary indications). The letter dropped from the entry at the first number (not necessarily the first one clued in the pair) goes in the first of the three associated spaces; that from the second number in the third space. It will be seen that each set of spaces will make a three letter word by the insertion of a suitable second letter – in several cases there is more than one option. Word lengths refer to grid entries.
Remaining answers are entered normally, but each clue contains a redundant word. These redundant words, in no particular order, define the twelve three-letter words.
(Solvers were asked to submit a clue to the name given by the inserted second letters.)
Across
_ _ _ 6/32 Gemstone and gold turned over in dug-up soil; also drug turned over by footwear (6;6)
_ _ _ 10/31 Bird in Arabia can run and run round and round about end of dirty dry ravine (5;5)
_ _ _ 13/29 Support for those at sea? I learn unexpectedly ready argument from priest (6;6)
_ _ _ 14/27 Bishop, unusually motherly about women at fault, following women with curious manlier air (10;10)
_ _ _ 16/25 Unusual row: Russian plane nicked by scoundrel stops to offload English decorations (6;6)
_ _ _ 17/21 Fixer arranged Linacre’s exam: a University’s right ahead of that line in the early part of the day (8, 2 words; 8)
Down
_ _ _ 1/24 ‘Dolts managed to block endless desire when bringing in harvest’ – Riyadh saying (6;6)
_ _ _ 3/23 More bubbly forte by a more bubbly composer, unhappily irate about bass (6;6)
_ _ _ 4/22 Fruit-shaped SA coin not featuring black horse and pale bird (6;6)
_ _ _ 6/15 Fair busy but incomplete – I fault land company, after the mistake (8;8, 2 words)
_ _ _ 7/12 Cut gemstones, perhaps? Brutally hold person back, say – jewellers finally opposing that (10;10)
_ _ _ 8/26 Lightweight cracker, fried in flour, cooked in rum (5;5)
Across
1 Assume one’s insane following shock therapy (6)
11 Incompetent nuisance backing into Australia’s plane (7)
18 Dead blue bird – bear? (4)
20 First-rate article about Southern continent question (4)
30 Shakespeare’s older performance genius involved with King (7)
33 Request lorries to hold it back in bends (6)
Down
2 Type of acid’s about right for beer pranks (7)
5 Rootstock found in the dirtiest dump around (4)
9 Dangerous fly in groups still infesting borders of Tennessee (6)
19 I’ll age extra badly, complaining initially of abnormal growths (7)
20 Melodies mostly dry? I thus raised power (6)
28 Methamphetamine upset radical stars (4)
Solution
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